James Anderson has said that he is “happy” with his retirement from Test cricket later this year “90 per cent of the time” but still feels like he could play for another 10 years.
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Speaking on the Tailenders podcast, Anderson discussed his impending retirement following the first Test match of the English summer against the West Indies in July. The Lord’s Test match will be Anderson’s last after England management told the 41-year-old that they wanted to look to the future in their seam-bowling attack.
“Some days I wake up and wish I was not retiring,” said Anderson. “90 per cent of the time I’m happy with it. Not many people in sport get the chance to retire over the age of 40. I’m happy I’ve made it this far.
“In my head I feel like I could play for 10 years. Obviously I realise that is not realistic.”
News of Anderson’s retirement was reported in the Guardian earlier this month, saying that England head coach Brendon McCullum held discussions with Anderson over a round of golf. Anderson clarified that discussions were in fact held in a hotel in Manchester with McCullum, Rob Key and Ben Stokes.
“There’s been two or three moments on the field, if the opposition are 500-3, I’ll be thinking, ‘do I really want to still be doing this?'” said Anderson. “They are fleeting thoughts – nothing that has stuck with me for more than an over.
“I don’t know how much of that was me, and how much it was the external noise that comes with ageing. For the last six years, or even longer, it’s been, ‘how long can you go on for? That in itself, certainly for the last couple of years, has been quite draining.”
Anderson took his 700th Test wicket during the final Test of England’s series in India earlier this year. He has taken the most Test wickets of any fast bowler in history and is third in the overall Test wicket-taker standings. Eight wickets in his final Tests will bring him level with Shane Warne in second place. He is due to warm up for the Test match by playing for Lancashire against Kent next month.
