James Anderson keen to finish on a high
London, July 9
It doesn’t matter if James Anderson takes a bunch of West Indies wickets for England in the first Test at Lord’s starting tomorrow.
The series opener will be Anderson’s 188th and last Test and he will transition into England’s fast-bowling mentor.
He was pensioned off by England managing director Rob Key, coach Brendon McCullum and captain Ben Stokes. They met him at a Manchester hotel in April to say he wasn’t in their plans for the 2025-26 Ashes in Australia.
This was a month after Anderson returned from India, where he took 10 wickets at an average of 33.50. That series was lost 1-4 but on the last morning of the last Test in Dharamsala, Anderson became the first seamer in history to take 700 wickets.
He spoke then of being in the best shape, liking where his game was at, and being really excited for this summer, when he will turn 42 at the end of this month.
This week, he said he was surprised at how calmly he took the news from Key, McCullum and Stokes. He understood their decision, adding, “I’ve sort of made peace with that.”
Anderson warmed up for his last Test by showing his class last week in his first English County appearance for Lancashire. He took 7/35, the best figures in the championship.
His 21-year Test career comes full circle at Lord’s, where he made his Test debut in 2003 against
Zimbabwe. — AP
