James Anderson, an England pacer, stated on Friday that he has no plans to leave international cricket anytime soon.
“In terms of retirement I have no interest in going anywhere anytime soon,” Anderson said after the conclusion of day two of the fifth Test of the ongoing Ashes series against Australia.
In the first five matches of the 2023 Ashes series, Anderson, who turns 41 on Sunday, had taken five wickets at an average of 74.80.
“If Stokesy (captain Ben Stokes) and Baz (Test team coach Brendon McCullum) say, ‘you have not got the wickets we would like’, I am absolutely fine with that but I feel like I have a lot more to give,” Anderson told the media.
James Anderson, who is England’s leading Test wicket-taker with 691 scalps, said that he is being asked about his retirement for the last six years. However, he feels that his skills are still good enough to continue leading England’s pace attack.
“I have tried not to listen to the comments. For me that question has been there for the last six years, even longer. As soon as you get into your 30s as a bowler, it’s, ‘how long has he got left?’ The last three or four years I feel like I have bowled as well as I ever have. I feel like I have been in so much control, my body is in a good place, my skills are as good as they have ever been,” Anderson said.
Anderson claimed one wicket during the post lunch session of the second day of the fifth Ashes Test when he bowled Australia all-rounder Mitchell Marsh with a good length ball that crashed into the top of leg-stump.
“I don’t feel like I’m bowling badly or am losing pace or that I am on the way out. I still feel I can offer a lot to this team. I’d like to (decide when I go). I try to look at it objectively. Yes, I have not got the wickets but I am still trying to do the job for the team and help the guy out at the other end,” the fast bowler said.
“I tried to bowl a lot of wobble seam yesterday whereas today I just tried to hit the pitch as hard as I could. I got a bit of swing and seam movement now and then but I was just trying to keep it as simple as possible,” Anderson added.
At the completion of day two of play in the fifth and final Ashes Test against Australia at The Oval on Friday, the visitors held a tenuous 12-run lead. This was due to England’s dominant pace bowlers.
