IND v ENG: James Anderson wants to retire on ‘nice note’, says he feels privileged to be where he is
IND v ENG: 'Privileged' James Anderson wants to retire on ‘nice note’
Veteran England seamer James Anderson has no plans to retire from cricket, but whenever he does, he wants to do it on a nice note, bowing out on his terms. Playing his 186th Test match, the most by a fast bowler and second-most after Sachin Tendulkar (200), Anderson is close to completing 700 Test wickets - a unique yet incredible feat for any bowler.
Speaking to The Telegraph, as quoted by talkSPORT, Anderson said the way Eoin Morgan announced his retirement last year, he wants to go out the same way.
“I would like to be able to go out on a nice note. I don’t want to drag it out, and people are thinking: ‘Can you just do one.’ Morgs [Morgan] last year woke up and just knew it was time to call it a day. I am just hoping that is the case,” Anderson told The Telegraph.
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The 41-year-old seamer said he feels privileged to be in this position where he is staying away from injuries or selection issues. Anderson added he wishes to say goodbye whenever he wants and not when he is forced to.
“I feel privileged to have got in a position where I can make a decision because, as a bowler, it is usually taken out of your hands with injury or selection. It will be nice to go out on my own terms, but when that will be, you just have to wait and see,” Anderson added.
Anderson closes in on joining elusive club
Meanwhile, Anderson is third on the list of bowlers with the most wickets in Tests – after Shane Warne (708) and Muttiah Muralitharan (800). The right-hand seamer is also the third-highest wicket-taker across formats, edging closer to 1000 international scalps. Once he breaches that mark, he would join spin greats Warne (1001) and Murali (1347).
Meanwhile, in the ongoing Rajkot Test against India, Anderson has picked just one wicket in the first innings (of Kuldeep Yadav on four), bagging six wickets in total from three innings thus far.
Anderson and Mark Wood are leading England’s pace attack in Rajkot, while the young spin duo of Tom Hartley and Rehan Ahmed are the other two bowlers.
England and India have won a game each in this five-match Test series.
