Anderson played Ashes in Australia with back pain

ADELAIDE - England strike bowler James Anderson has revealed that he played the victorious Ashes series Down Under with a back injury, and added that at times, he feared he might ruin his Ashes campaign.

Anderson said that felt stiffness in his back during the third Test at Perth. Now, he says that the pain had arisen in the same sort of spot as the stress fracture that interrupted his career for most of the 2006 season, forcing him to wear a corset for six weeks until the bone knitted back together.

“It was in a similar area to where I had my stress fracture. I had a scan in Melbourne, and once that showed it was irritation in the facet joint, I was pretty confident it would settle down. I was delighted to get through five Tests without injury to be honest,” The Telegraph quoted Anderson, as saying.

He added: “I found the Tests very tough both physically and mentally. I did feel very run down by the end. And it must be difficult for the guys who have played every game.”

Anderson is likely to return to international duty on Tuesday after a 10-day break from the tour, in which he flew home to see his wife and two small children, one of them a new baby daughter. (ANI)