• Sportzyverse
• Cricket news
• 05/11/2024
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In a surprising turn of events, James Anderson has decided to hang up his boots. The legendary pace bowler of England, who turns 42 in July, might be all set to bid adieu to cricket.

According to a recent BBC report, England’s test coach has made his future plans clear. Surprisingly, they don’t involve Anderson in the mix.

As a result, McCullum has told the pacer that they are looking to build a pace attack with a future in mind, which perhaps James Anderson has no place in.

The veteran’s last outing came during England’s tour of India. Even in the spinner-friendly conditions that don’t suit pacers, he managed to clinch ten wickets.

McCullum clarifies future plans to Anderson

England’s next outing will now be in July. They won’t play any tests before that and will face Sri Lanka directly at home. This series can very easily be the Englishman’s farewell series.

A report by The Guardian sheds more light on the incident. It claims that Anderson had face-to-face talks with coach McCullum over a round of golf. The meeting might have been casual in a leisurely place, but the agenda was strictly professional: to discuss Anderson’s future.

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During this meeting, McCullum made it clear that he is building a team for the future. This means that he is already eyeing the 2025-26 Ashes series. By then, Anderson will be 43 years old, and although the player might want to play series, the team’s interests don’t align with his plans.

His desire is a testament to his commitment to fitness. Having claimed 700 wickets in 187 games of test cricket, Anderson is already a legend in the ranks.

He holds the record for most wickets by a pace bowler in Test Cricket and is only behind Sachin Tendulkar on the list of most appearances in this format.

Also read “Do You Get Runs Outside India?”: James Anderson On Sledging Shubman Gill, Reveals India Star’s Reply

Despite all this, it seems that England’s management has made up its mind. The Stokes-McCullum era, which might conclude with the next Ashes, will want to go out with a bang. And if that means leaving Anderson out, they won’t blink once in making the decision.

As things stand, Anderson will play in the six tests that England will host this summer. They will take on Sri Lanka and later West Indies as well. It will be interesting to see how Anderson fares in these series and whether or not he brings down the curtains on his international outing.