England captain Ben Stokes has backed “phenomenal” senior pacer Chris Woakes to lead England’s bowling attack without the legendary James Anderson. With Anderson retiring from international cricket after England’s emphatic victory over the West Indies in the first Test at Lord’s, Woakes is set to become the new spearhead for England’s bowling unit. Anderson ended his illustrious career with 704 Test wickets—the highest by any fast bowler in history—and leaves a significant void. The first Test saw England dominate, winning by an innings and 114 runs. Anderson’s retirement, following his 188-match career, alongside Stuart Broad’s exit after last year’s Ashes series against Australia, means England will be without their combined 1,308 Test wickets as they prepare for the second Test at Trent Bridge on Thursday.
This Test will be the first home match since 2012 where England will play without Anderson or Broad. Despite their absence, Stokes is optimistic about Woakes’ ability to fill the gap. Woakes, a seasoned all-rounder, is set to play his 50th Test this week, boasting an impressive average of 22.04 wickets per Test in home red-ball internationals.
“I see it (James Anderson’s retirement) as an opportunity for someone like Chris Woakes to take up the leadership role in the bowling unit,” Stokes stated on Wednesday. “Woaksy is a very experienced bowler, a very experienced player. We have been so used to Jimmy and Broady doing that. But we don’t have them now. I see that as an opportunity for Woaksy. (Woakes has been) A phenomenal performer, especially in England and great for him now to lead the attack.”
Although Anderson has retired from playing, he remains with the squad as part of the support staff. Stokes highlighted the positive impact Anderson’s presence has had on the team, particularly in providing valuable insights and guidance to the bowlers. “The last few days have been really good,” Stokes noted.
“You can see that the lads are really desperate to pick his brains. Obviously before that it was a bit different. Jimmy has always been preparing for his games, so it’s about letting him do his stuff and pick his brains as much as you can, that felt appropriate. But now obviously he’s just standing there and you can see lads drawn towards him wanting to pick his brains about what he thinks, how he holds certain deliveries.
“I think it has been a very, very smooth transition. But there is no doubt that there have been emotions with Jimmy. But with him still being around the team, I think he still knows that he has so much more to offer to the game with the ball. Couldn’t think of a better bloke to be able to pass on the knowledge of fast bowling to the guys we have with us at the moment.”
