Sir Andrew Strauss has hailed the evergreen efforts of Jimmy Anderson who will be playing against South Africa this week at the age of 40.
Strauss is hoping for a bumper week to make the most of the fourth ‘Red for Ruth’ Test which has been a focal point for him during his retirement. And the 45-year-old former opener remains amazed at Anderson’s longevity to still be playing more than 10 years after Strauss retired when he made his debut the summer before him.
“A decade from retiring seems obscene quite frankly,” said Strauss. “But the most bizarre thing of all is that Jimmy Anderson made his England debut before I did. I’ve been retired 10 years now. That is crazy."
"I remember in 2015, when I took over as Director of Cricket, we were talking then about managing the workload of Jimmy especially but Broad too because we felt they were coming to the senior end of their careers.
“For Jimmy to keep his standards and fitness levels as high as he has, to keep improving his skills as he has over the last six/seven years. That’s the difference when you look at good cricketers and greats. The greats are the ones that keep evolving and keep finding ways to make life difficult. Look at Jimmy, he’s still incredibly competitive, is at a genuinely world-class level, and it’s a privilege to watch him bowl, in English conditions especially.”
The Ruth Strauss Foundation will be hoping to raise plenty of awareness along with another huge sum of money after their £1.2 million success last year. The charity is focused on supporting people in bereavement dealing with the loss of a parent, especially children at a young age.
Strauss’ sons Sam and Luca both appear in a new video talking about their loss when they were just 13 and 10 years old respectively and how the foundation can help families in need. It is a subject that Strauss has discussed with England star Jonny Bairstow, who is one of a number of players involved this week who have lost a parent - including Ben Stokes, Alex Lees and Ben Foakes.
“The truth is there are so many people who have lost parents at a young age,” said Strauss. "And you are right to highlight that is the case for many in the England team.
“I’ve had conversations with Jonny Bairstow about it over the last couple of years and it is just a sad statement of life that it happens to so many people. We have extraordinary support from within the England team to make this day as great as they can for us. Maybe there is that personal connection there with the cause, but also several of the players knew Ruth too.”
Red for Ruth day in aid of the Ruth Strauss Foundation takes place on day two of the 1st Test at Lord’s. For more info visit www.ruthstraussfoundation.com
