James Anderson returns to England for birth
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Your support makes all the difference.England fast bowler James Anderson has returned home to be present at the birth of his child but plans to return in time for the third Ashes test in Perth, coach Andy Flower said today.
"Its not ideal, its not perfect but we try to get the balance right between our commitments to England and our responsibility to the individual and his family," Flower told reporters at the team hotel in Melbourne.
"He will suffer from a bit of jet lag. Its not great that he is going to be on a plane all this time but that's what we are dealing with. He gets back a couple of hours ahead or behind our plane (to Perth)."
Anderson has taken eight wickets at an average of 32.12 in the series so far, which England leads 1-0 after their innings and 71-run defeat of Australia at the second test in Adelaide on Tuesday.
After playing a three-day tour match against state side Victoria starting on Friday, England will head to Perth next week for the third test which starts on Dec. 16.
The English celebrations from their emphatic victory at the Adelaide Oval were tempered with the news that Anderson's new ball partner Stuart Broad would miss the rest of the series due to an abdominal injury.
Flower said England would rest two of their bowlers from the Adelaide test to allow them to play seamers Chris Tremlett, Tim Bresnan or Ajmal Shahzad in the tour match at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, with one to come in for Broad.
"I won't describe it (as a bowl-off) because you don't judge people on one performance," he said.
"We've got a fairly clear idea of who we want to play at Perth ... Of course if someone puts his hand up and forces his way in, then good on him."
Tremlett has been rated by pundits as the likely replacement at Perth's WACA ground, where the pitches are generally fast and bouncy.
"Tremlett, he brings you heavy bounce with the ball coming from that height, he bowls a very consistent length and gives you bounce," said Flower.
"He's not express pace but it's imposing as a batsman with someone of that height and size is running into you."
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