James Anderson admits he sometimes wishes he had not retired from the England international, saying he feels he could have played for another 10 years.
Test cricket’s most prolific seamer, who took 700 wickets in 187 games, will end his international career with the series opener against West Indies at Lord’s on July 10 After the end.
The 41-year-old told the BBC Tailenders podcast: “In the back of my mind I thought I could play for 10 years. Obviously, I realize that’s unrealistic.”
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“Sometimes I wake up and wish I hadn’t retired, but 90 percent of the time I’m happy with it. Not many people in sports get the opportunity to retire over 40. I’m glad I’ve retired.” So far.
Anderson needs nine wickets in his final Test – you can watch live sky sportsLater this summer he will overtake Shane Warne’s 708 to move into second place in Test cricket’s all-time list.
Warne’s fellow spinner Muttiah Muralitharan topped the list with 800 runs.
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‘Talking about my future has been draining for the past few years’
The decision to retire from Tests was accelerated by discussions at a hotel in April with captain Ben Stokes, head coach Brendan McCullum and England director of men’s cricket Rob Key.
Anderson, who has been involved in behind-the-scenes talks about staying in the England squad this summer, has clarified that initial reports that he spoke to McCallum at a golf match were incorrect.
He also said that in the latter stages of his career, the continued speculation about his future had been “exhausted”.
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He added: “There were probably two or three moments on the field where, if the opponent was 500-3, I’d be like, ‘Do I really want to keep doing this?'”
“They were fleeting thoughts – nothing sticks with me more than an ending.
“I don’t know how much of that is my own doing and how much of it is external noise that comes with getting older. For the past six years, maybe even longer, it’s been, ‘How much longer can you keep going?'”
“That in itself has been exhausting over the past few years.”
Anderson has yet to reveal whether he will continue to play cricket for Lancashire when his England career comes to an end.
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Sky Sports’ Ian Ward says Anderson’s staggering numbers will never be matched in the future
Watch Anderson’s final Test match against the West Indies at Lord’s on Thursday 10 July, live on Sky Sports Cricket (first ball 11am).
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