England's Anderson frustrated by niggling calf injury
Last updated on: 11 August,2019 11:16 pm
I missed the Ireland test as a precaution to make sure I was 100% for the Ashes.
(Reuters) - England fast bowler James Anderson said he was filled with guilt and frustration after being ruled out of the second Ashes test against Australia because of a calf injury that limited his participation in the series opener.
The 37-year-old, who missed a warm-up match with Ireland and struggled to be fit for the series opener against Australia at Edgbaston, pulled up injured on day one of the first test which the hosts lost by 251 runs.
He was then ruled out of the second test on Tuesday.
“You feel lots of guilt (and you are) generally frustrated but you’re trying to help the lads as much as possible without making them feel worse,” Anderson, who apologised to team mates after pulling up injured at Edgbaston, told BBC Radio 5 Live.
“I missed the Ireland test as a precaution to make sure I was 100% for the Ashes. I felt angry having done all the work to get there. There’s nothing else we could’ve done.”
The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) has said that the chances their record test wicket-taker playing in the rest of the series would be reassessed on “an ongoing basis”.
“All the tests they do... to see if it’s OK, it just wasn’t playing ball so it was hugely frustrating,” Anderson added.
“It settled down a bit when we were batting and I was planning on bowling in the second innings, but when I was batting I pushed off for a run and it didn’t feel right. “There’s nothing else we could have done.”
The second test of the five-match series begins at Lord’s on Wednesday