Monday 26 / August / 2024
London: Ahead of his final international appearance against West Indies in the first Test on Wednesday, England pacer James Anderson said that he is at peace with his retirement from the sport and has no regrets after being blessed with longevity and wicket tally like no other pacer in the game.
Anderson is set to play his final Test when England take on the West Indies in the series opener at the Lord's from July 10. With 700 wickets in 187 Test matches, Anderson currently stands third among the highest wicket-takers in the longest format and is the first among all fast bowlers.
Speaking at the pre-match press conference, Anderson said that the past couple of months have been "strange" but he is happy with the way things are and understands the direction team management is trying to go to.
"It has been a pretty strange couple of months but I feel pretty happy with where things are. I can completely understand the way the management and the team want to go. I saw their point of view and appreciated them taking the time to lay it out for me I have made peace with that and we will see what the future holds," he said, according to Sky Sports.
On his seven-wicket-haul for Lancashire against Nottinghamshire recently during the County Championship, Anderson said that he has been bowling as well as he has always have but things have to come to an end at some point.
"Whether it is now, a year or two years... the fact that it is now is just something I have to deal with and accept. I do not 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," said Anderson.
"I have played with a lot of people more talented than me who did not get the chance to play due to injury or whatever, so I feel blessed to take the amount of wickets I have," he added.
Anderson said that the fact he is going to play his 188th and last Test as a 42-year-old makes him 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," he said.
"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 have achieved," he concluded.
The seasoned pacer has a chance to claim the second spot in the list of highest Test wicket-takers by surpassing the late, great Shane Warne, who scalped 708 wickets in his esteemed career.
He made his debut in the Test format against Zimbabwe at The Lord's in 2003, and he will bid farewell to fans as a player at the same venue.
His 6/17 against Pakistan in the first Test in 2010 at Trent Bridge still echoes the prowess of his remarkable career.
He has also taken 269 wickets in 194 ODIs for England and 18 wickets in 19 T20Is.
