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16-Jun-2010 02:15:00 GMT
Australia in England, 2010

Angry Anderson Fears Australia Axe

London: Frustrated England fast bowler James Anderson fears he will miss the start of the upcoming one-day international series against Australia.

The Lancashire swing bowler had been regarded as a regular for England teams across all three formats but missed the tour of Bangladesh earlier this year with a knee injury.

And he then found himself reduced to a mere squad member during England's World Twenty20 triumph in the Caribbean, with left-arm seamer Ryan Sidebottom, Yorkshire paceman Tim Bresnan and Stuart Broad chosen ahead of him in a tournament that ended with the side beating Australia in the final.

"I'm worried I won't start in this series," Anderson told reporters. "Looking at it now I can't see me starting unless they play one spinner.

"Not playing in the Windies took the wind out of my sails a little and it came as a bit of a shock to me.

"I thought if I'd gone to Bangladesh and gone to Abu Dhabi, it might have been different, but they picked the side they did and you've got to take your hats off to the selectors -- they did well.

"I know I'm good enough to play in that team though and if I'd have played then I think we'd still have won it.

This has changed my thoughts on where I am in the side. During the South Africa tour I thought I was becoming a key part of the team and now I don't feel like that so much, certainly in the one-day team.

Anderson was annoyed by the way in which he was left out in the West Indies.

"I felt a bit angry as well about getting rested and I thought that might have something to do with it," the 27-year-old said.

"It wasn't until the day before the (warm-up) game that I heard I wasn't playing. I don't want to bad-mouth anyone or go on about it, but the reason I was left out of that practice match made me think I'd be playing in the first game, but I didn't play, so I was bit frustrated.

"I moped around for a bit and then got over it, so I'm somehow trying to work my way back into the team."

England, who face Scotland in a one-off ODI on Saturday, play the first of a five-match series against Australia at Hampshire's Rose Bowl ground on June 22.

Australia face Ireland in a one-day international in Dublin on Thursday and then play English county side Middlesex, due to be captained by former Australia wicketkeeper Adam Gilchrist, at Lord's on Saturday.


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