Cricket News : Jimmy is not playing but he is fit- Butler on Anderson missing Ashes opener

Jimmy Anderson, England's all-time leading test wicket taker, will miss the first Ashes test starting Wednesday at the Gabba.

The news was confirmed by wicket-keeper batsman Jos Butler at a pre-match press conference in Brisbane on Tuesday.

Butler also said the senior players in the team were ready to step up to support captain Joe Root, who has announced this series could be career defining.

“We know he’s our best player, we want to support him, help him, share that load,” Buttler said. "He’s been in incredible form. He comes here determined to continue that.

“It’s a massive series for him.”

He heads into this series as the leading test batsman in the world, having scored 1,455 runs in 12 tests in 2021 at an average of 66.

 England has lost nine of the 10 tests it has played in Australia since its drought-breaking series win Down Under in 2010-11, mostly by big margins. Root has been on the last two tours, and was captain for the 4-0 loss in 2017-18.

And then there's England's record at the Gabba, where it hasn't won a test since 1986 and has recorded only two wins since 1946.

Buttler said England was only looking back as far as January, when an injury-depleted India squad ended Australia's unbeaten record at the Gabba that dated to 1988 to clinch a series victory.

“I don’t think we have anything to lose ... (rather) everything to gain,” he said. “You know to do that against Australia here, you have to be at your best.”
 

England announced a starting lineup on Tuesday with Stuart Broad ready to lead the attack along with pace bowlers Chris Woakes, Mark Wood and Ollie Robinson. Spinner Jack Leach was included in the 12-member team with Ollie Pope's inclusion ahead of Johnny Bairstow being the only suprise.