James Anderson says part of him feels like he could play for another 10 years, despite his upcoming retirement from Test cricket.
The first Test against West Indies in July will be the last of Anderson’s legendary career after the England management told the 41-year-old they want to look to the future.
Speaking on his Tailenders podcast, Anderson said: “In my head I feel like I could play for 10 years. Obviously I realise that is not realistic.
“Some days I wake up and wish I was not retiring. Ninety per cent of the time I’m happy with it. Not many people in sport get the chance to retire over the age of 40. I’m happy I’ve made it this far.”
Anderson, England’s all-time leading wicket-taker with 700 Test victims, opted to retire after talks with head coach Brendon McCullum, captain Ben Stokes and managing director Rob Key.
The four men met in April, but Anderson’s decision to retire was only made public on 11 May after reports emerged in the media.
Key subsequently told the press that England’s leadership trio “think it is time to move on”.
Though the decision to retire has been imposed on Anderson, he admitted that speculation over his future in the latter part of his career has been “draining”.
“There’s been two or three moments on the field, if the opposition are 500-3, I’ll be thinking, ‘do I really want to still be doing this?'” he said. “They are fleeting thoughts – nothing that has stuck with me for more than an over.
“I don’t know how much of that was me, and how much it was the external noise that comes with ageing. For the last six years, or even longer, it’s been, ‘how long can you go on for?’
“That in itself, certainly for the last couple of years, has been quite draining.”
Anderson clarified that he and McCullum did not hold discussions over a round of golf, as was widely reported. Anderson, McCullum, Stokes and Key met in a hotel in Manchester.
The pace bowler is yet to publicly reveal if he will continue to play for Lancashire after his Test career ends.
He is due to warm up for his final Test, beginning at Lord’s on 10 July, by playing for the Red Rose in County Championship matches against Kent at Canterbury and Nottinghamshire at Southport at the end of June.
