Former England seamer James Anderson believes he could have still played in the upcoming 2025 Ashes had he not retired from international duty earlier this summer.
The 42-year-old called time on his glittering international career this summer and bowed out at Lord’s after making his 188th Test appearance for England after a career spanning over 20 years.
Anderson had discussions with England head coach Brendon McCullum, who wanted to modify his side’s bowling attack as they look to build towards The Ashes next winter in Australia. Despite Anderson feeling he was “bowling as well as he ever had”, the changing of the guard was set in motion.
“I always thought in my head I could make The Ashes at the end of next year,” Anderson told Sky Sports.
“But obviously, they didn’t think that I could. I would have carried on and I will carry on still playing in some shape or form.
“I think that’s part of the fun of being a professional sportsperson, to constantly find things to improve on, especially in cricket, which is a heavily skill-based sport, there’s always something else to look into and try so I’ve always loved that side of it.”
While Anderson may not be part of the Test squad any longer, he did join the backroom staff as a bowling mentor following his retirement, which showed that England are reluctant to cut the cord completely.
Anderson also entered into the Indian Premier League (IPL) auction this year despite not playing a T20 game in a decade but went unsold.
Anderson became the first seamer and just the third bowler in history to go past 700 Test wickets earlier this year, finishing with 704 wickets to his name.
Anderson made his Test debut for England against Zimbabwe at Lord’s back in 2003.
The precocious 20-year-old had been hurried into England’s one-day squad in Australia only five months earlier.
So rushed was the call-up, in fact, that he did not have his name or squad number printed on the back of his shirt, an experience he remembers vividly.
“The Australian fans made sure I knew about it as well. They were giving me a fair bit of abuse,” Anderson added.
“But again, it was so eye-opening, playing for the first time at the MCG (Melbourne Cricket Ground) having only played county cricket before, so getting to experience that at an early age did stand me in good stead for the future.
“It did feel really surreal being called up to the team. You get a big box of kit and just two years ago, I was buying the England World Cup shirt just to wear casually.
“You dream of playing for England and then when it happens, certainly at that point in my career, I didn’t really believe it.”
Jimmy vs James
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Anderson reflected on his 21-year career representing England at Test level following the conclusion of his final Test match against West Indies
A fresh-faced red-haired Anderson often got into fiery exchanges on the field, but as his career went on, and with the help of a sports psychologist, he managed to channel his anger in ways that would help him.
“I think the biggest thing I struggled with was being too angry,” Anderson said.
“They call it a red mist, I would just lose concentration and get very angry so I was trying to control that,”
“But I was also not trying to go too far the other way. I didn’t want to be too James and be too nice. So it was about trying to find that balance.
“I’d go through stages of getting angry and frustrated with myself if it wasn’t bowling well and then I’d just end up bowling worse, or start shouting at people and trying to sledge the batters.
“So working with a sports psychologist really helped, I managed to channel that sort of anger and use it in a good way for my bowling.”
During the 2011 Ashes, Anderson was involved in a sledging exchange with Mitchell Johnson who famously said: “Why you chirping now, mate? Not getting wickets?”
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Back during the Ashes series in 2011, Anderson had the perfect response to some Mitchell Johnson sledging!
Anderson struck with the following delivery and as part of his celebration, he hushed Johnson.
“By that point, I was able to control my mindset and mentality, and I managed to focus on bowling well,” Anderson remembered.
“Whether you’re having a little bit of sledging or something with one of the opposition players, I had learnt that I couldn’t bowl a bad ball.
“So I was thinking if I start trying to sledge and then bowl poorly, then it defeats the object and it made me focus on bowling well.”
From Manchester to Melbourne
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Michael Atherton looked back at Anderson’s incredible career and paid tribute to England’s greatest-ever bowler following his retirement from Test cricket
Anderson made his debut for Lancashire in 2002 when he was 19 years old and was soon propelled into the England set-up, blissfully unaware that he would go on to represent his country 187 more times.
“It was kind of a quick progression, and I think it helped me because I just thought: ‘I’m just going to enjoy it while it lasts’,” Anderson said.
“I didn’t know I was going to have a long career at that point. I was on a journey and trying to enjoy it as much as I could.
“It is incredible to think I managed to play for that long. I feel very fortunate that I did and it’s quite satisfying to know that I’ve put so much hard work in throughout those 20 years and got some rewards for it.
“I was never focussed on the wicket tally, it was more about trying to contribute to Test match wins and looking back now I feel very proud and satisfied.”
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Former team-mates and family paid tribute to Anderson, following his retirement from Test cricket
In a career that spans over two decades, it’s difficult for Anderson to pick out one moment that stands out. Instead, it’s the calibre of players he’s bowled against that he remembers the most.
“I feel so lucky to have played against some incredible players, like different generations of players.
“The first India team I played against with [Rahul] Dravid, Sachin [Tendulkar], [VVS] Laxman were all amazing players.
“Even with Australian players like [Ricky] Ponting, [Matthew] Hayden, [Justin] Langer, [Adam] Gilchrist.
“I think that helped me develop as a youngster, playing against the best in the world and the best that a certain country has ever produced.”
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Anderson discusses his new role in the England coaching set-up
Throughout his Test career, Anderson dismissed India’s Virat Kohli seven times, a rivalry that he now reflects fondly on.
“I’ve loved playing against him, he’s got a real lion heart, and he wants to get into a battle,” he said.
“So bowling at someone like that, who’s obviously a world-class player as well, is pretty special.”
At the end of Anderson’s new autobiography, Finding the Edge, he writes: “I was always searching for perfection. As good as I got, I could never quite reach it. There’s always something else to find. That’s why I could never retire by my own decision.”
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