'I have no intention of finishing' - James Anderson clears air on retirement speculations

Two of the best fast bowlers of the last decade, James Anderson and Stuart Broad have been sought after for their retirement plans after a poor Ashes series. England have already gone 0-3 down in the five-match Test series down under and has failed to win the Ashes again. More than the result, the way England has been battered so far in the series speaks volumes of the holes in the current England squad.

Anderson is the all-time leading wicket-taker for England with 639 wickets in 168 Tests and he is certainly nearing the end of his career. His fitness levels seem to have not gone down yet and the 39-year-old has shown intent to battle it down for a few more years. On the other hand, Stuart Broad was left out of the first and the third Test despite the veteran seamer making a big achievement of playing 150 Tests.

Ahead of the fourth Test at Sydney, Anderson went on to reveal his emotions in the Telegraph and also noted about his conversations with Stuart Broad.

Personally, I feel in a really good place reckons James Anderson

The England veteran swing bowler mentioned that the retirement question is bound to arrive once there is a big series defeat like in the ongoing Ashes but was delighted to continue still. He added that the message to him from the management is to continue his routines which indeed is a positive note going forward.

“Unfortunately, I have been on a few tours that have not ended well in Australia. There is always an air of uncertainty when you lose convincingly so who knows what the future will hold. It is natural you start thinking about what happens next but the message from the chats I’ve had with the captain and senior players around me is to keep going.” James Anderson wrote in Telegraph.

Anderson went on to reveal the conversation with his bowling partner Stuart Broad in terms of retirement and how both expressed their desires to serve the country a little longer. The Lancashire lad was quite sure that both he and Broad will be back at their best soon and it is just a matter of time.

“Personally, even in these challenging times, I feel in a really good place with my bowling and have done for a while. I will have to wait and see but I have no intention of finishing. From speaking to Stuart Broad, it is clear he definitely has not had enough yet either. He is very much keen to carry on as well and has had a great couple of years which is what frustrates him the most. He got injured in the summer which meant that he had not played much cricket coming into this tour” he added

Stuart Broad and James Anderson have both been named in the playing XIs for the fourth Test at Sydney by England.