Brendon McCullum, Ben Stokes, Rob Key advocate for James Anderson's retirement transition; Say 'It's time to move on'

May 12, 2024, was a poignant day for cricket aficionados as it marked the beginning of the official countdown to the retirement of James Anderson, an absolute luminary of the game. A genuine titan of the game, the veteran created history by becoming the first fast bowler in cricketing lore to clinch an astonishing 700 wickets, achieving this remarkable feat in only 187 matches during the India-England five-match Test series earlier this year. Although he played his last ODI for England in 2015 during the Cricket World Cup, Anderson continues to hold the record for most wickets by an Englishman with 269 scalps in 194 matches, emphasizing his legendary status and invaluable contributions to the nation.

Anderson took to Instagram to announce his decision to retire from international cricket after the conclusion of the first Test at Lord's, the historic venue where he made his red-ball debut for England over two decades ago in 2003.

Anderson had previously held ambitions of playing in England's six Tests scheduled for this summer against West Indies and Sri Lanka and hadn't entirely ruled out the prospect of being available for the 2025-26 Ashes, despite having been 43 by then. Nonetheless, after a personal meeting on the golf course with Test head coach Brendon McCullum in April, and additional discussions involving Managing Director Rob Key, Anderson was informed that the team needed to move forward without him this summer, with an eye on building towards the tour of Australia, as well as the future of English Cricket going forward.

Speaking on the BBC's Tailenders podcast, Anderson verified that his talks with McCullum were addressed during his yearly evaluation, conducted six months into his one-year contract. When asked, Anderson mentioned that coaches had been inquiring about the duration of his career for the past decade. Upon self-reflection, Anderson admitted that he doubted his ability to participate in the Ashes as a 43-year-old, around 18 months from now. In the meantime, the management emphasized the need to use the approximately 15 upcoming Tests to provide opportunities for other pacers in the squad to gain sufficient experience for the series Down Under.

Also Read: 'Will leave a huge hole' - Stuart Broad looks at 'scary' future after James Anderson announces Test Retirement

"I feel like I have talked about it for ten years with every coach I have had, asking 'how long are you going to play for?'," Anderson said. "Looking ahead, could a 43-year-old me make the Ashes in 18 months' time? I sort of came to the decision - 'probably not'. From my point of view, it feels like a stretch at this point in my career, and from their point of view, there are 15 or so Tests before the Ashes, so it gives them time to get other guys Tests and experience before that Ashes series," shared Anderson.

There are games at the end of the season that I'm not ruling out at this moment: Anderson

Discussing his county career, Anderson conceded that he wasn't fully committed to retiring and could potentially feature in the latter stages of Lancashire's Championship campaign. Lancashire finds itself languishing at the bottom of the heap, suffering three losses in their first five games in the County Championship Division One. Nevertheless, while he expresses a desire to keep serving his county club, the decision lies with both the management's decision and Anderson's own craving and resolve to carry on, a decision he'll mull over later in the year.

Also Read: 'Red-ball cricket is my true passion' - Siddharth Kaul opens up after his impressive County Championship debut

"There are games at the end of the season that I'm not ruling out at this moment. That's a conversation I've got to have with Lancashire and see what they want to do. That will be a conversation further down the line with Lancashire and see what they want to do, and see if I've actually got the desire and willingness to do that as well. Again, that will be later in the year," concluded the English icon.