"I’m getting a lot of people coming up to me saying congrats on a great career" - James Anderson not thinking about retiring yet
Veteran England seamer James Anderson has declared that he hasn't even thought of retiring despite his long-standing teammate Stuart Broad doing so and others hinting he should do the same. The 41-year-old believes he still has a lot to offer and doesn't want to retire only because his compatriots have.
Broad, who made his Test debut in 2007, retired from the format after the 2023 Ashes series on home soil. The 37-year-old forged a lethal new-ball bowling pair with James Anderson and retired with a staggering 604 wickets, including one off the last ball of his career.
Speaking to The Telegraph, Anderson said he still has a plethora of skills to win games for England. The veteran elaborated:
"Sounds brutal but you just have to move on. No thought has crossed my mind about finishing. I’m getting a lot of people coming up to me saying congrats on a great career but I keep having to explain that was Stuart, not me.
"I still feel like I’ve got a lot to offer this team. I still feel like I have got the skills to win England games of cricket so as long as I feel like that, I don’t see why I should finish just because of my age."
The retirement rumors around Anderson amplified after his drought of wickets during the 2023 Ashes series on home soil. The right-arm seamer managed only five scalps in four Tests, averaging an abysmal 85.40.
"We have bowlers who have not bowled in India before" - James Anderson
As the senior-most bowler in the team, the Lancashire cricketer understands the need to pass on his knowledge during the upcoming India tour. He elaborated:
"I have a duty to pass on information to people. We have bowlers who have not bowled in India before, so it will be a different challenge for them. We have to help where we can.
"There are only four seamers going so we will not be expecting to bowl a huge amount of seam. It is just a slightly different role. You might not bowl the overs you do in England but they are still important."
Out of Anderson's 690 wickets, 34 have come in India in 13 Tests at an average of 29.32. The first of the five Tests between India and England begins on January 25 at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad.