James Anderson is reportedly set to bring down the curtain on his illustrious Test career after the conclusion of next season at home.
According to a report from The Guardian, the veteran pacer has decided to hang up his boots after head coach Brendon McCullum told him that he intends to look to the future this summer, moving towards the 2025-26 Ashes. The former New Zealand captain conveyed his message to James Anderson during a round of golf after flying to the UK this week.
The right-arm pacer will be 43 when England travel to Australia for the next Ashes series in the 2025-26 season. With England aiming for their first Ashes victory in more than a decade, Brendon McCullum has already started planning for it.
On recent tours of Australia, England’s pacers have struggled to make much of an impact and it appears the English team management is focusing on the pace attack first.
In the upcoming home season, England are scheduled to play six Tests, three each against the West Indies and Sri Lanka. While there are doubts about whether James Anderson will play in every game, he will likely have a big sendoff.
Also Read: Namibia squad for ICC T20 World Cup 2024 announced, Gerhard Erasmus to lead
He is also likely to get a chance to play at home when England host Sri Lanka at Old Trafford for the first match of the three-match series.
With James Anderson’s days in international cricket numbered, England will have a very new pace attack for next season. With Stuart Broad now retired and Anderson likely to hang up his boots after next season at home, England will have a tough task as they look to replace the legendary duo.
James Anderson’s career in numbers:
James Anderson will retire from Test cricket as England’s most decorated bowler of all time and one of the greatest pacers in the history of the game. No pacer has taken more wickets than him in the longest format of the game.
He is the first pacer to touch the 600 and 700 wickets mark in Tests. Currently, he is the third highest wicket-taker in Tests behind Muttiah Muralitharan and Shane Warne. James Anderson needs 9 more wickets to surpass Warne’s tally of 708 wickets. In 187 Tests so far, he has taken 700 wickets.