Jimmy Anderson is 'untouchable', says England captain Joe Root, after 600th Test wicket

Record-breaker: James Anderson
AP
Will Macpherson26 August 2020

England captain Joe Root heaped praise on ‘untouchable’ Jimmy Anderson, after the 38-year-old became the first fast bowler to 600 Test wickets.

Anderson dismissed Azhar Ali as England won the series against Pakistan 1-0. He then confirmed that he would like to face Australia in the Ashes next year and answered, “Why not?” when asked if he could reach 700.

“There is no one that can touch him, he’s that far ahead of everyone else,” said Root. “It’s incredible what he’s done so far.

"He’s much more than the wickets you see, he’s a brilliant senior player, adds a lot to the dressing room. With the younger bowlers, you couldn’t ask for a better role model to learn off.”

Root also expressed his gratitude to West Indies and Pakistan for entering the biosecure bubble to face his team during the pandemic.

“To sit at the start of the summer and potentially not play a game was quite

a fright, so to be sat here having won two series, I’m really proud of [my] players, but also extremely thankful for both teams coming over,” he said.