In recent years, the veteran pacer has demonstrated his ability to perform consistently in various conditions, proving that he is not limited to a specific type of pitch or season. Among his contemporaries, his teammate Stuart Broad is the only other fast bowler who comes close to matching his consistency.
However, veteran Indian pacer Ishant Sharma holds a different perspective. During an appearance on The Ranveer Allahbadia show, Ishant expressed his belief that former Indian cricketer Zaheer Khan surpasses Anderson’s abilities.
Ishant argued that Anderson’s success has largely been achieved in England, where the conditions are more favorable for fast bowlers. He speculated that Anderson might have faced different challenges and achieved different results had he played in India.
While discussing the topic, Ishant’s statement was interrupted by the anchor, who humorously implied that Anderson may not have achieved the same level of success if he had played in India. Ishant nodded in agreement and confidently stated, “Zak. He is better than Jimmy Anderson.”
Zaheer Khan, who retired from international cricket in 2014, claimed 311 wickets in Test matches, an achievement that places him on par with Ishant as the highest wicket-takers among Indian pacers in the longest format.
In the same interview, Ishant Sharma identified three promising bowlers who, with proper guidance, have the potential to carry on the legacy of India’s current pace attack. He named Umran Malik, Arshdeep Singh, and Mukesh Kumar as talents who, if nurtured correctly, could make significant contributions to the country’s cricketing success in the future.
Ishant expressed his confidence in Umran Malik, emphasizing that with the right support, he has the potential to serve the nation for a long time. He then mentioned Arshdeep Singh as his second pick and Mukesh Kumar as his third.
Furthermore, Ishant made a special mention of his Delhi Capitals teammate Mukesh Kumar, who has been selected for the Test and ODI series against the West Indies. Ishant praised Mukesh’s simplicity and highlighted the importance of providing him with on-field guidance to excel in pressure situations.
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Ishant acknowledged that Mukesh faced challenging circumstances during the Indian Premier League (IPL), where he often bowled in tough overs against top-class batsmen. He noted that the statistical outcome doesn’t always reflect the context in which Mukesh operated.
Despite conceding runs, Ishant emphasized the need to consider the situations and opponents he faced, stressing that if guided properly, Mukesh could become a highly skilled fast bowler.