Despite a gawky run-up and action that resembled "a man trampling through a nettle-bed, pursued by bees", as Mike Selvey put it, Angus Fraser was for the better part of the 1990s the mainstay of the England bowling attack, a tireless exponent of line and length, hitting the same spot over after over, match after match. In only his fourth Test match after his 1989 debut, 'Gus' ripped through the West Indies line-up with a spell of 5 for 6. Fraser ended his injury-plagued career last year with 177 wickets from 46 Tests, and 47 wickes from 42 ODIs. He spoke to Ashish Magotra on the eve of England's key Pool A match against India in Durban. Excerpts:
I was speaking to a few former players about James Anderson (the hero of England's 112-win against Pakistan) and one of them mentioned that his bowling action does put a lot of strain on the body. Would you agree with that statement?
I have not analysed his action down to the nuts and bolts but I like what I see. I think it's a good, easy repeatable action. He can bowl with consistency, and swing the ball away, at good pace. But there is room for developement. There are a lot of things he does right but it is important to manage the 20-year-old correctly because you don't want someone at that age picking up an injury by overbowling him. I think he has a pretty sound action and how he is managed will determine whether he is injury prone or not. Before turning out in England colours, Anderson had played only three one-day matches for Lancashire.
Are you surprised by how well he has answered his country's call?
I think everybody is surprised but they have also enjoyed his response. Not too often do we have a 20-year-old who comes into the side and looks at home straight away. Most cricketers in England seem to be 23-24 by the time they make it to the team but James Anderson has responded like a fish to water. He looked good for his first game against Australia and has continued to impress thereafter. There will, of course, be that small matter of inconsistencies but he has shown he can bounce back and forget about it. It's great for England to see someone like this come through.
England vs India at Durban. How do you see the pitch playing?
I was here during the 1995-96 English tour but was left out because the team opted for swing bowlers not seam bowlers. The wicket does have a reputation of being helpful for swing bowlers. Andrew Caddick, James Anderson, Andrew Flintoff and Craig White will again be under pressure to do well.
How important do you see the toss as being?
It is important that England bat well, they seems to be a better side when they set a target rather than when they chase. Statistics indicate that more games are won by sides batting first in D/N games. The toss is important and the team that wins it will most probably look to bat first to try and make the best of the conditions.
England's all-rounders mainly bowl pace while by comparison their Indian counter-parts bowl spin. Will that be a big a factor?
That is one of England's biggest strengths. They have all seaming all-rounders and unless you are a top-class spinner your impact on the game will always be lesser than that of a seam bowler.
Do you sometimes feel that the England batting-order is top-heavy?
England's two-most successful players are Nick Knight and Marcus Trescothick. Michael Vaughan has established himself as one of the best batsmen in the world. So the top three are the best batsmen in the side. Nasser Hussain is a very capable player but he seems to struggle in ODIs. He can score useful runs though. Stewart has had a good Test career but he is not at his best now. Collingwood seems to be progressing as a player; he seems have taken up the role that Graham Thorpe and Neil Fairbrother used to perform with effortless ease. The top three are the best bastmen and there is always the risk that a good new-ball spell might get rid of them but you also want them to have the most overs to play the match-winning innings.
Did Collingwood show such nerve at the county level too?
Collingwood has shown himself to be a man for crises. The bigger the crisis the better he seems to play. England coach Duncan Fletcher has great trust in him and he is yet to let him down. His innings so far in the World Cup have been crucial to England's cause.
Your prediction for England vs India?
I like India a lot and love the way they play. Till about a week back I would have supported India but after seeing the way England played against Pakistan, I think England just have the slight edge over India.
