Wisden overview
A strapping, genuinely quick fast bowler, James Anderson played only three one-day games for Lancashire in the 2002 season - he'd played more for his club Burnley - before being called into England's VB Series squad the following winter as cover for Andy Caddick after an impressive stint at the Academy in Adelaide. It was all such a rush that, when he made his debut at the MCG, his shirt had no name on the back. Anderson was an orthodox seam bowler until he found a couple of extra yards at the age of 17, and during an impressive debut season in first-class cricket in 2002, many observers thought he was bowling as fast as anyone on the county circuit. An amazing 10-over stint in century heat at Adelaide, which cost just 12 runs, confirmed a shirt with his name on for the 2003 World Cup. He continued to impress there, with a matchwinning spell against Pakistan, although a last-over didaster against Australia was more sobering. A hat-trick, including the wicket of Nasser Hussain, early in May 2003 - plus the absence of the injured Gough and Caddick - cemented his place in the Test side for the first Test of the new home season, where, almost to order, he took five wickets in his debut innings. Rob Smyth

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