James Anderson, England’s leading wicket-taker in Test cricket, has revealed his decision to retire from international cricket following the team’s opening Test of the home season against West Indies at Lord’s, scheduled to commence on July 10.
In an announcement made via Instagram, Anderson expressed, “I wanted to share that the upcoming Test at Lord’s will mark my final appearance in Test cricket. It has been an extraordinary journey spanning 20 years, representing my nation and playing the sport I’ve cherished since childhood. The camaraderie of stepping out for England will be deeply missed. However, I believe the time has come to gracefully bow out and pave the way for others to pursue their aspirations, just as I had the privilege to do. There’s no greater satisfaction.”
During the Ashes series in England last summer, the experienced fast bowler managed to secure only five wickets across four matches. Similarly, in England’s recent five-match series against India, which ended in a 4-1 defeat, Anderson accumulated 10 wickets from four appearances.
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“I couldn’t have done it without the love and support of Daniella, Lola, Ruby, and my parents. A huge thank you to them. Also, thank you to the players and coaches who have made this the best job in the world.
I’m excited for the new challenges that lie ahead, as well as filling my days with even more golf,” Anderson added in his post.
As reported by The Guardian, England Test head coach Brendon McCullum made a trip from New Zealand to the UK specifically to deliver a personal message to the 41-year-old bowler. The message conveyed that the Test team is undergoing strategic changes for the future. According to the English daily, the team management is already looking ahead to the Ashes series in 2025/26 in Australia and does not envision Anderson being part of those plans.
Despite recently achieving the milestone of 700 Test wickets during the series against India, Anderson made history as the first fast bowler and only the third bowler overall, following in the footsteps of Muttiah Muralidaran and Shane Warne.
Having participated in 400 international matches, Anderson has amassed a total of 987 wickets across various formats, marking the highest tally among all seam bowlers. Although he concluded his appearances in One Day Internationals during the 2015 World Cup, Anderson remains the top wicket-taker for England in ODIs, having secured 269 dismissals.