NEWS
Follow UsIt’s over. It’s done.
It’s the end of an era as James Anderson’s international career has officially come to an end, nearly 22 years after he first donned the England colours.
On December 15, 2002, a 20-year-old Anderson’s international career began at the iconic Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) against Australia.
22 years later, his career has come to a close against another opponent with rich cricketing heritage, the West Indies, at arguably the most iconic venue of the sport, in Lord’s. Incidentally, this was the very same venue where Anderson’s Test career began, back in 2003 against Zimbabwe.
41 now, Anderson leaves the sport as the highest wicket-taking fast bowler in Test cricket history, with 704 scalps to his name.
He entered his final Test at Lord’s on 700, with a chance to equal or surpass the great Shane Warne. He wasn’t able to quite do that, but still, the legendary speedster bowed out in style, picking a three-wicket haul in his last ever innings at the international level.
Anderson said prior to this Test, his final international game, that he was feeling as fit as ever and that he was bowling as well as he ever has. The veteran walked the talk on his final day as an international cricketer by blowing away the West Indian lower-order to sign off in style.
In the aftermath of his final international appearance, the speedster spoke in detail about his career in an interview with Mike Atherton on Sky Sports. Here’s every word from his farewell speech.
On his 20-year-long career
“It’s been an amazing 20 years. Bit overwhelmed with the reaction of the crowd this week. It’s been very special. To get a win, to contribute to a win, something that I’ve done all my career. Every time I’ve worn this short; I’ve tried to win games of cricket for England. To win this week in such a comprehensive manner has been brilliant.”
On whether he’s managed to soak up all the emotion
“It’s been different. The emotions have been up and down. To see my girls ring the bell on day one. To walk out today with both teams lined up [for the guard of honour] was pretty emotional. I forgot what I was trying to do with the ball when I walked out to bowl the first ball.
“It’s been incredible. The reaction of the crowd has been phenomenal. I can’t get my head around it right now. It’s just been an amazing 20 years.”
On the impact his family has had on his career
“You can’t have a long career without having the support and network behind you. Every player will say the same. We go on tours for long periods of time. And I think we talk a lot in the dressing room about creating memories as a team - it’s important that the families also create memories along the way.
“To see my kids ring the bell this week, it was an amazing moment for them. Something that they will never forget. I just hope they had as good a time as I did.”
On his special memories from his career
“Winning series and Test matches has been the only thing I’ve been interested in since I came into the England team. Winning in Australia, winning in India, becoming the number one side in the world, and contributing to those series, taking wickets. I think they are the things that I will remember forever. Playing with some of the greats of the game as well, it’s been really, really special.”
On whether he will miss fast bowling
“It is difficult. But you’ve got to have a bit of sadistic side to be a fast bowler. It does hurt. But I think I’ve never really shirked away from my responsibility. I’ve enjoyed walking off the field after bowling 20-25 overs in a day and feeling sore, feet hurting, legs hurting. That’s just the nature of it.
“I probably won’t miss not being able to get out of bed and sit on the toilet first thing in the morning (laughs).”
On what Test cricket has meant to him
“I just think that the amount of emotions you go through in a game, the ups and downs Test cricket brings [is unmatched]. When the captain throws you the ball at 6.00 PM, you’ve got to bowl full tilt when you might be sore; when you might be hurting. It shows how much you’ve got inside you. It tells you a lot about your character. It will tell you how deep you can actually dig.
“Managing people, working in partnerships and stuff like that, it all really helped me away from cricket as well.”
On the greatness of Test cricket
“Certainly for me, Test cricket is the perfect game. You go on a rollercoaster through the match. There are ups and downs. You’ve got to fight your way back into the match when you’re on the backfoot. When you’re on top, you’ve got to make the fullest use of the advantage you have.
“The satisfaction you get from a win, there’s no better feeling than that. I think white-ball cricket and T20 has been amazing for the game, and will continue to be, but sometimes you might get the rub of the green that might help you win games. There is no amount of luck that will help you win in Test cricket. You need to be on it as a team and perform well all week.”
On the dream debut of Gus Atkinson & his future as mentor
“He’s been magnificent. But I will say it will be downhill for him after taking 12 wickets on debut [laughs].
“What an amazing week he’s had. The thing I love about Gus, he went to India during winter and did not play a game. Worked so hard, worked on his run-up. To see the fruits of that, this week, it’s been amazing. I’m sure it will give him a lot of confidence going forward. I think he is going to be an amazing cricketer for England because he’s got all the attributes to do well in Test cricket.
“I think we’ve got a great group of young cricketers coming through as well. I’m really looking forward to working closely with them [as mentor].”
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