James Anderson, a key member of England’s bowling attack, completed 20 years of international cricket last year and is still going strong. With 675 wickets, the 40-year-old seamer leads all seamers in Test cricket and is regarded as one of the best red-ball bowlers.
Anderson has participated in 177 games since making his Test debut in 2003. Only Sachin Tendulkar has played more tests than Anderson. His ability to perform at his peak level even at the age of 40 is astonishing. The ICC recently ranked Anderson as the second-best Test bowler, and he shows no signs of slowing down any time soon.
The legendary James Anderson has opened up about his contentious dismissal from the Test squad following a 4-0 Ashes loss, confessing the decision nearly led to his retirement.
Anderson was benched for England’s tour to the West Indies last year, but after Brendon McCullum and Ben Stokes were named as their new captain and coach, he was reinstated and has since played a key role in their victory.
England has won nine out of ten Test matches played under Stokes and McCullum, and Anderson has taken 35 wickets at an average of 17.85.
“There was definitely a moment when I thought that could be it,” Anderson admitted at the relaunch of the podcast. “Is that it? Do they want to move on and get younger blood in?
“There was a bit of anger and disappointment. But I spoke to Greg quite a bit and I was just trying to make sense of it and not make any rash decisions.”
Received help from his father
Anderson received assistance from his father Alan in coping with his disappointment about the selection. “My dad actually gave Jimmy advice on text,” James revealed.
“He said, ‘Take the sting out of it, it will all look different in the summer on a nice sunny day at Lord’s’. Nobody would have guessed what was going to happen but it is amazing what a bit of time does, and not panicking.”
Anderson still wants to improve his game, he said: “I’m not the complete bowler. I’ve not played the perfect game or bowled the perfect over.
When will James Anderson Retire?
When asked about his retirement plans earlier, the 40-year-old decided to provide an update, and it appears that he will not be retiring anytime soon.
Speaking to ICC, he said, “I don’t feel old or that I’m slowing down. I don’t have any personal goals I just want to keep enjoying my cricket. During the Tests earlier in the summer I felt really invigorated by the way we were asked to bowl as a bowling group. It was a change of mindset. I loved the aggressive nature of it and I’m looking forward to being a part of it.”
Also Read: IND vs NZ ODI: Rohit Sharma Overtakes Adam Gilchrist, Joins The Most ODI Run-getters List
