From ABC Grandstand:
Unapologetic paceman Jimmy Anderson has admitted England doctored pitches during their Ashes upset - and called for more of it in the future. The Ashes pitches became a talking point as the series wore on and all five Tests were wrapped up inside four days - with fixtures at Edgbaston and Trent Bridge threatening to be two-day affairs.
Michael Clarke used his final press conference as an Australian captain to detail his problems with the wickets which had been prepared. Throughout the 3-2 series victory, England captain Alastair Cook and coach Trevor Bayliss steadfastly denied any involvement in the preparation of wickets this series.
However, Anderson not only admitted England were in the ear of groundsmen, which implies that Cook and Bayliss lied to the public, but said it is something they had not done enough of in the past. "I think there's certainly an element where we should've done it more in the past (and) we should it do it more in the future," Anderson said in a live panel discussion streamed on the Breathe Sport website.
Anderson also accused Australia and India of leading the way in that regard. "When we go to Australia, they prepare the pitches to suit their team, although you don't get too many surprises there. When we go to India, the same thing happens, pitches that were green are suddenly dusty," he said. "Even if we did (doctor pitches), everyone else in the whole world prepares pitches to give them home advantage and I don't see why it should be any different here.We should prepare pitches that suit us. We are trying to win games at any cost, and this is a legal way to do it. The ethics of it aren't something we worry about."
Anderson said that while the pitches were produced to assist the England bowlers, there was still something in it for batsmen. "All the games, at some stage, guys got runs - even the game where (Stuart Broad) bowled them out for 60 (at Trent Bridge), we then batted on it and got a decent total," he said. "It wasn't as if it was unplayable."