COLOMBO: England paceman James Anderson revealed on Saturday that he needed two stitches in his cheek after a bout of horseplay with teammate Graeme Swann.

“The 2 stitches in my cheek, given to me by a so called friend, r coming out! Can’t get rid of black eyes as easily,” the 28-year-old wrote on his Twitter account before Saturday’s World Cup quarter-final against Sri Lanka.

Anderson, who was not selected for the game, told the Daily Mirror on Thursday: “You may see a slight scar on the side of my face in pictures this week.

“Rest assured no one has hit me while batting – that is still as good as ever. It was just a little accident caused by one of Swanny’s clumsier moments during some horseplay.

“He looked horrified when he did it, but now he’s jealous because men with scars look cool,” the bowler said.

The winner of Saturday’s game will meet New Zealand in the semi-finals in Colombo on Tuesday.