James Anderson puts things into perspective and stresses need for training window ahead of any shortened season

NICK FRIEND: Anderson is passing these uncertain times by working out at home and spending time with his children. It is all he - and everyone else - can do. And should the domestic campaign be restricted to white-ball-only, he is keen to take part

Amid the frustration of a pre-season curtailed and a campaign – at the very least – delayed, events of the last month have provided James Anderson with a great deal of perspective.

Becoming the most successful seam bowler in Test history is hardly a task that comes with a shortcut and so, for many years, cricket has been an enormous part of his life.

That has not changed now; he has spent time in recent days walking around his living room going through his action out of habit – “it’s just sort of engrained; when you don’t do it for a while, you just miss it”. Yet, these unprecedented, uncertain times have offered him a reminder of a bigger picture.

“You actually see the importance of it in the grand scheme of things isn’t that great,” he reflected, speaking via conference call, “so I think for me if and when I do play again, I might have a different outlook on it all.

“There’s more to life than sport. As we’ve seen – what people are sacrificing at the minute in the NHS, sadly people are losing their lives to this virus, there are much more important things in the world.

“The fact that I’ve been able to do this for a long time and I get to play a sport as a job, when I do get to do that again, I’m going to really cherish it and enjoy every single moment of it.”

Any current uncertainty therefore is related less to the game itself, but to the situation facing the wider world.

“It’s quite a scary time for everyone and obviously my family’s health is the first priority. Cricket is very much secondary to that. In my head, I’m not really thinking about when we’re going to play cricket. I’m just thinking about how to keep my family healthy – stay inside and stay healthy in terms of the mental health side of things as well.”

Anderson’s eldest child is approaching the end of year six; she is missing her friends and dealing with the idea that she might not return to primary school. They are the challenges of the world as we now know it.

Speaking on the Tailenders podcast a fortnight ago, he admitted his anxiety at the prospects facing the coming season. He is mindful of second-guessing a pandemic about which society continues to learn each day, though he is confident – even at 37 years of age – that he will return to the field at some stage, whether it be later this summer, the subsequent winter or, indeed, in 2021.

^{Anderson has not played competitively since injuring his rib in the second Test of England's series win in South Africa}

“With the uncertainty of what’s happening at the moment, I think it would be silly to actually not think about not bowling a ball this summer,” he confessed. “To me, at the moment, that’s pretty realistic, with the situation around the world.

“Just looking short-term, we’re not going to play. Long-term, I still think I can get to next summer at the moment, so if that’s the case – or whether we get some games in in the winter, I feel like I could play a part. I’m still hungry to play, I’ve still got ambitions to play for England.”

The English domestic campaign has already been delayed to May 28 at the earliest – the scheduled start date of the T20 Blast. Seven rounds of County Championship fixtures were due to be played between now and then. If and when cricket does get underway, it is likely that international series, The Hundred and the T20 Blast will take precedence as the English game’s primary money-spinners.

Anderson last played a T20 match in the final of the 2014 competition, the evening that Andrew Flintoff made a fleeting comeback for Lancashire in a narrow defeat against Birmingham Bears.

However, he has acknowledged that in a truncated season, there might only be white-ball cricket on the table for him to play. He does not have a Hundred deal, having first been signed up to an ambassadorial role with Manchester Originals in an attempt to look after his body and preserve him for when he is needed most.

“I want to be playing cricket and if that is the only cricket going on – if it’s The Hundred or the T20 Blast, then I’d love to be involved,” he said.

“If there wasn’t any red-ball cricket this summer, then it would be a long, long time for me just to be ticking over in the nets. I’d much rather be playing some competitive cricket than not.”

It is the worry facing those who primarily operate with – or against – the red ball, with the very real possibility of the County Championship going uncontested for the first time since 1945.

When cricket does return, though, Anderson insists that a fair window must be given for players to prepare.

“I think you can’t expect to just start the season after a couple of weeks’ notice,” he explained. “Guys who’ve been sat around for a long time – some of the players might have been ill as well, you’ll need some sort of build-up.

“You can’t just go from not bowling at all to then having to bowl in a Test match at fairly short notice. How long that is, I’m not sure. Obviously, the powers that be will sort that out if and when that time comes.”

^{Anderson has not played T20 cricket since the final of the 2014 T20 Blast}

Anderson, along with his England teammates, have been doing as much gym work as possible from home. Every centrally contracted player – male or female – have been sent care packages full of equipment.

Though he has not been able to bowl – certainly not off a full run-up, Anderson’s work has been specific to bowling, working on his strength to ensure that when he does come to bowl again, there is no added strain on his body.

England are due to face West Indies in the first Test of the summer on June 4 – just eight days on from the ECB’s May 28 holding date.

“If we’re still on this sort of lockdown in May then I can’t see that being feasible just having seven or eight days to get back into bowling and play a Test match a week later,” Anderson said. “But if we can get out and about in May and that’s a possibility, start training with the counties, then I can see it being a bit more feasible.”

There has been talk of games behind played behind closed doors in order to speed up the restart of sporting events worldwide, though Anderson is unsure. “If and when we do play cricket again, surely it’s got to be with crowds watching?”

In the meantime, he and his England colleagues are looking after one another. Anderson, Stuart Broad and Mark Wood took part in a virtual bike race, with Broad coming out on top, while Anderson reckons he has 15 different WhatsApp groups ongoing.

Talking to one another in order is as important as anything. “Generally when we’re training, we’ve always got a goal in mind, we’ve got a target – we’re training for this Test series or for the start of the season,” he added.

“Without that, it can be quite difficult to find a drive and a motivation, so I think that pushing each other along is a good thing.

“I think but you need a bit of perspective on this as well. People are sacrificing a hell of a lot for us to try and keep us healthy.

“I think us sacrificing some of – potentially all of – the cricket season and staying inside for a bit, I don’t think that’s a huge sacrifice, considering what other people are sacrificing at the moment.”