"The fact I will be playing my 188th Test at just short of 42 years of age" - James Anderson takes pride in his longevity ahead of his swansong
Veteran England seamer James Anderson revealed that he is quite proud of what he has achieved over his career and is excited about playing his 188th Test, aged 42. Anderson said he would revel in how much he has been able to contribute to Test victories throughout his career.
The Lancashire seamer's farewell Test will begin on July 10 when England face the West Indies at Lord's in the opening fixture of the home summer. With the management focusing on building their team for the next 2025-26 Ashes series, the think-tank has requested the record-breaking seamer to step aside.
At a presser on Monday, Anderson stated that he has always given it all, regardless of whether it's his first or final match. He said:
"The fact I will be playing my 188th Test at just short of 42 years of age makes me most proud. The fact I have been able to play this long, the fact I have committed to playing this long and trying to push myself to be the best I possibly can be. That is all I have ever done. Even though I know I only have one game left, I have tried as hard as I ever have to get myself in a position where I can bowl well for the team.
"To have been able to contribute to Test victories is something that when I do look back on my career will make me most proud. I am going to be able to sit back over the next few years and be incredibly proud of what I've achieved."
The 41-year-old also takes pleasure in playing over 100 games for England across formats. He explained:
"I don't have any regrets. I have played hundreds of games for England, in both white ball and red ball. I have played longer than a lot of people get the opportunity to do. I have played with a lot of people more talented than me who didn't get the chance to play due to injury or whatever, so I feel blessed to take the amount of wickets I have."
The veteran made his debut in 2003 and became a regular member of the Test side after 2007. He passed Ian Botham's record for most Test wickets (383) by an Englishman in 2015 and overhauled Glenn McGrath's tally of 563 three years later.
"I think I have a lot to offer in terms of my experiences in Test cricket" - James Anderson
Anderson also talked about his role in mentoring the players coming through in the last few years and hopes to do that more as a coach in the future. He said:
"I am really excited about what I can contribute to this team for the rest of the summer and, who knows, maybe beyond that. Coaching is something I have thought about. I feel my role over the last few years has been to mentor the younger guys, help them settle and feel comfortable. I think I have a lot to offer in terms of my experiences in Test cricket."
Nevertheless, the 41-year-old remains uncertain about his future with Lancashire.
"The likelihood is this week is my last game of first-class cricket this season, but we'll have to see what happens. My emotions are a bit all over the place at the moment. I want to make that decision thinking clearly. If I feel like I can still contribute to Lancashire, then I'm sure that conversation will happen in the next few months."
With 700 scalps under his belt, Anderson needs only nine more to surpass Shane Warne and become the second-highest wicket-taker in Tests.