"When we asked him, he was keen" - Robert Key reveals James Anderson's new role after retirement
The England men's team's managing director, Robert Key has announced that James Anderson will return as their fast-bowling mentor after retiring from international cricket. Keys said they don't want to miss out on the tons of experience that Anderson has.
The Lancashire bowler announced in May earlier this year that the upcoming Lord's Test against the West Indies, the first of England's cricketing summer, will be his last game. The Test starts on Wednesday, July 10.
Key recently shed light on how the 41-year-old's presence will continue to benefit England cricket even after his retirement. He told the BBC:
"He’s got so much to offer English cricket. We don’t want to see that go. When we asked him, he was keen. He is going to have a lot of options. English cricket would be very lucky if he chooses to stay in the game. What he does with Lancashire will probably work out after the Lord’s Test. We've got some conversations to have after to find out what he thinks is the best thing to do. Everything so far has been him gearing up for this Test match."
Key also addressed uncapped batter Jamie Smith's inclusion in the Test squad, saying:
"Sometimes you're selecting people for what they're going to be as well, and where you think they can progress to. It's very much the start for Jamie Smith. We feel he's going to be a fantastic international cricketer."
Smith, who plays for Surrey, is also likely to keep wickets, with the selectors leaving out Ben Foakes and Jonny Bairstow. The other notable absentees from the 15-man squad are Mark Wood, Tom Hartley, and Jack Leach.
"It's an arduous task being a keeper" - Robert Key on Jonny Bairstow
Key also addressed Bairstow's non-selection. He pointed out that the wicketkeeper-batter was struggling for form across formats, saying:
"Generally his form, in all formats, has just been going slightly in the wrong direction. It's an arduous task being a keeper and you want someone who can back up series after series. We weren't convinced that Jonny would be able to do that, especially at the stage of his career that he's at."
Bairstow had underwhelming T20 and ODI World Cups, with England failing to defend both their white-ball crowns.