MUMBAI — England received a major boost Saturday as captain Alastair Cook declared that top bowler Jimmy Anderson had recovered from injury and was set to join the squad in India.
Cook said that Anderson, England’s all-time leading Test wicket-taker with 463 scalps, had been given the all-clear following a shoulder problem and could arrive in India as early Tuesday.
“It’s really good news. He’s ready to come so it’s just about trying to get him out to Rajkot as quick as we can,” Cook, 31, told reporters in Mumbai.
The first Test of the five-match series starts in Rajkot, in western Gujarat state, Wednesday as India seeks revenge for a home series loss to England four years ago. Anderson will miss the opening Test but could be ready to lead England’s attack for the second match, which starts in Andhra Pradesh state, on Nov. 17, said Cook.
Anderson suffered a fractured shoulder blade last summer and had been dogged by a recurrence of the injury but passed fitness tests back home on Friday while the rest of the England squad were already training in India.
Anderson took more wickets than any other pace bowler on either side when England won the 2012 series in India and Cook believes the fired-up 34-year-old could be the difference again.
Rahman to return
Bangladesh cricket authorities said Saturday they are expecting pace prodigy Mustafizur Rahman will be available in their upcoming December series in New Zealand as they declared the squad for the tour. Nicknamed “The Fizz”, the 21-year-old left-arm pacer missed the recent home series against England recovering from shoulder surgery that he underwent in Britain on August 10.
The Squad: Tamim Iqbal, Imrul Kayes, Mominul Haque, Mahmudullah Riyad, Shakib Al Hasan, Mushfiqur Rahim, Sabbir Rahman, Soumya Sarkar, Mosaddek Hossain, Nurul Hassan, Mehedi Hasan, Shuvagata Hom, Taijul Islam, Mashrafe Mortaza, Mustafizur Rahman, Taskin Ahmed, Shafiul Islam, Subashis Roy, Mohammad Shahid and Tanveer Haider. — Agencies
