Neither the ECB nor Anderson is yet to comment publicly on the topic, but the Guardian report stated that Anderson’s extraordinary England career will end this year.

According to the Guardian, England head coach Brendon McCullum held face-to-face discussions with the veteran seamer to inform Anderson that England were “looking to the future”. McCullum reportedly flew 11,000 miles from his home in New Zealand to break the news to Anderson over a round of golf. England will play six Tests this summer, three each against West Indies and Sri Lanka, including one at his home venue, Old Trafford, where he has an end named after him.

Anderson, 41, is the only seamer in the history of the game to take 700 Test wickets. His England Test debut came in May 2003, before some of his current teammates were born. Part of the justification for McCullum’s decision is seemingly the possibility of Anderson playing in the next Ashes series. Anderson has previously refused to rule out playing in the 2025-26 series in Australia, by which time he would be 43.

Anderson had a decent recent tour of India, taking 10 wickets at 33.50 but endured a tough home Ashes series in 2023, taking five wickets at 85 across his four appearances. Following the India series, Anderson claimed he was in “the best shape he’d ever been” and took his 700th wicket on the final day of the series. Anderson was given a new one-year central contract at the end of last year.