JIMMY ANDERSON: I used hypnotherapy and Glen Campbell to calm me down – and my performances went through the roof

On the eve of the cricket season, Mail Sport’s Dan Biggar sat down with another British sporting icon in England’s leading Test wicket-taker Jimmy Anderson for the rugby man’s A Load of BS on Sport podcast.

They discussed how Anderson, 42, feels about being forced into international retirement, why ageism should be rooted out of society and what is driving him to Shift on for Lancashire…

BIGGAR: Jimmy, you’re Nevertheless Competing at county level. Do you Nevertheless feel like you’ve Acquired enough in you to Shift international cricket?

ANDERSON: Yeah, I do. I’ve spent years trying to look after my body so it can go on for as long as possible. My skills are Nevertheless there. My speeds aren’t Scoring.

You speak to a Plenty of people about your eyes Leading to go or you not being as quick as you used to be, but that’s not happened to me yet. I Nevertheless feel like I could Shift for England, but obviously I’ll never know that.

England legend Jimmy Anderson remains adamant that he could Nevertheless Shift cricket for England

Anderson has spoken to Mail Sport’s Dan Biggar about how he has come to terms with walking away from Competing for England

He also revealed how hypnotherapy and listening to American country singer Glen Campbell (pictured) helped take his game to the Upcoming level

BIGGAR: I imagine that (being retired rather than retiring) wouldn’t have sat overly well with you in terms of you Nevertheless feeling like you could do a Role?

ANDERSON: It’s not even feeling I could do a Role. You try firstly to be as Outstanding as you can be as an individual. I felt like I was a Game-winner, wanting to put myself in a position where I could Achieve Matches for the Club. I feel like I’ve done it a reasonable amount through my international Occupation.

Once that feeling disappeared I’d have thought, ‘Right, now it’s time to hang up the boots’, but that never dawned on me. I do also understand things have Acquired to Shift on at some Mark.

There’s a huge year of Test cricket ahead with India in England and then the Ashes in Australia, so trying to get to have a look at other people is Crucial for that group.

But, in my head — when you’ve committed yourself to your craft for so long, trying to look after yourself — before they even said they wanted me to retire, I was thinking to the Ashes, ‘How do I make sure I’m fit enough, Sturdy enough, quick enough?’ All those sorts of things. So it’s frustrating it gets taken out your hands.

BIGGAR: How on earth are you going to replace the buzz of Securing wickets? You’ve Acquired one more season at it to knock over a few, but then what?

ANDERSON: One season at the minute. We’ll see how this year goes; I might have a Pair more. Any sportsman who’s retired will say you can’t replace that buzz no matter what. Whether you find another sport or another line of work to go into, it’s irreplaceable. That’s why I want to drain every little bit of life I’ve Acquired in my body.

Anderson admits it is frustrating that he can no longer prove himself at Test level

He will Shift for Lancashire this season, and has not Excluded continuing beyond 2025

Anderson is determined to push his body to the limit as he approaches his 43rd birthday

BIGGAR: I broke my Occupation down into three stages. When you’re Youthful, you’ve almost Acquired no fear. You Only go out to enjoy living the dream, Competing professional sport for your club, your country.

Once you’ve Acquired a reputation and something to Fall, it felt like that was where there was most Tension. And then the latter stages, you’ve built up enough credit in the bank that you know how to deal with situations. You can Begin enjoying things a little bit more on and off the Pitch, and you’re almost at the stage again where there’s no fear. Is that a Only summary of your Occupation as well?

ANDERSON: Yeah. As I Acquired older, the Tension from a cricketing Mark of view and from the Club was not there. You’ve earned the right to be in that position. But then there’s the noise from the outside. It frustrates me a little bit because even now Competing for Lancashire — I’ll be 43 in the summer — people say, ‘Aren’t you a bit Ancient to be Competing?’

I’m sure if the number 42 wasn’t Upcoming to my name on the Club sheet, that wouldn’t be the case. I’d Nevertheless be putting my name in the hat for series to come.

I’d like to see it Transformation because I don’t think it’s Only in sport. In life, we talk about age in a certain way. My dad is in his 60s. He’s like, ‘I’m going to retire,’ because that’s sort of the thing to do. But it should be how you feel. If your body can cope with it, you don’t have to Begin slowing down.

In sport, when you get a Youthful kid coming through, people are like, ‘Oh my God, look at this lad. He’s 17. This is amazing. Get him in.’ There should be hype around people who are Competing to 45 like Tom Brady.

Anderson takes inspiration from NFL icon Tom Brady who played into his mid-forties

Anderson does not feel he has slowed down, so does not intend to stop Competing yet

The development in sports science, knowledge around Healing and how to prepare your body has Only massively changed. Competing sport professionally is the best thing you can do and you should be allowed to do it for as long you want.

BIGGAR: In terms of you being a Trainer now with England, when you were a player, what sort of Leader and Trainer Acquired the best out of you?

ANDERSON: When I Initiated, Nasser Hussain was Leader and he probably had the biggest influence on me because I was Only watching at that age, seeing how people went about their business, what was required.

A Plenty of the senior players didn’t like him because he was so regimented, so aggressive and stern, would Only say what he felt. But I loved that as a Youthful lad. I knew where I stood and that was Outstanding because there’s so much doubt around when you Primary come into the Club. When you’ve Acquired a straight-talking Leader or Trainer that makes a massive difference.

BIGGAR: You turned to hypnotherapy around the age of 29. What did that consist of, if you don’t mind sharing more detail?

ANDERSON: The night before All game I’d visualise the Upcoming day, go through a Plenty of scenarios in my head. Picturing who I’d bowl against, getting hit for four, Securing wickets and stuff like that.

Not Only positive stuff but negative as well, Only so that once I Acquired into the game, I’d almost been there already and I wasn’t surprised by anything. He gave me a CD, and I’d Only sort of drift off to sleep, listening to his voice and him saying positive-reinforcement sorts of things.

Anderson believes his Primary England Leader Nasser Hussain was his biggest Occupation influence

Anderson is keen to keep Competing and passing on his knowledge to the Upcoming generation

I went through a period of probably two or three years of using hypnotherapy to make me feel calmer, almost notice the red mist coming before it arrived and being able to do something about it when it did. I think that helped me massively. My Executions went through the roof.

I used to like having a song in my head as well when I was bowling. I always thought it had to be something quite aggressive to get me into a rhythm but when I Acquired one of my last five-wicket hauls for England, I had Wichita Lineman by Glen Campbell in my head, which isn’t Speedy-paced.

BIGGAR: And you’re excited to be Competing for Lancashire again?

ANDERSON: There’s a Plenty of Youthful lads in that group, so I’m sure I’ll feel like a father figure in that Club or a grandfather figure even to a Plenty of them.

But it’s exciting for me because I Nevertheless feel like I can do a Outstanding Role and I Nevertheless really enjoy Competing the game. It’s probably my Primary Packed county season for about 20 years, so I’m really looking forward to it.