Cricket: Anderson prepared for dry Aussie tracks

England's James Anderson says he is not a one-trick pony and is poised to prove his versatility with the ball against Australia in the Ashes next month.

The right-arm quick has been dismissed as being far too reliant on the ball swinging to be effective in Australian conditions.

His numbers away from home do not make for pretty reading ahead of the first Ashes test, starting on November 25 in Brisbane.

The 28-year-old collected five wickets at 82.60 during the last Ashes series in Australia.

He has taken 52 wickets at 43.84 from 19 tests away from England compared to 136 wickets at 27.13 in 33 matches on home soil.

However Anderson felt he had come a long way as a bowler since his last visit to Australia.

"I want to be the No 1 bowler in the world, so to do that I have to be able to bowl in different conditions and to take wickets," he told AAP.

"I think I have improved a hell of a lot in the last two years and I have learnt various skills.

"My reverse swing is a lot better than it was, if conditions suit that in Australia which it could do in Adelaide and Sydney.

"My skills have developed and hopefully I can make the most of it in Australia."

The 52-test bowler has been guilty in the past of appearing to lose his confidence a bit too quickly on the field.

He said he had made a concerted effort to make sure his opponents didn't see his head and shoulders sag.

"I think it is something that I have really tried to work on, to project the right image on the field and the confidence that I have," he said.

"With the experience that I have got over the past few years even if it is not going my way, I think my body language is not going to show that."

Anderson believed his performance in England's drawn test series in South Africa in 2009/10 had shown that he was turning around his form away from his homeland.

He collected 16 wickets at 34.25 in the four-match series in the Republic that ended 1-1.

"There is not many places like England to bowl and overseas it is pretty alien to (our) bowlers," he said.

"It has taken me longer than for most people (to adjust)."

He thought the England attack was well prepared to make breakthroughs on flat Australian decks, a problem that has haunted their touring sides in the past two decades.

"One thing we have tried to encourage as a bowling unit the last few years is actually going into a game expecting it not to swing," he said.

"So then if it does swing in the game it is a bonus.

"I think we are doing much better as a group in learning how to take wickets when the ball is not doing anything."

- AAP