England captain Ben Stokes has defended the decision to effectively force James Anderson into retirement as the all-time great prepares for his final Test.
Anderson will play his 188th and final Test against West Indies at Lord’s this week after being told by the team’s management that they wanted to start planning for the future.
The 41-year-old has taken exactly 700 Test wickets, almost 100 more than any other Englishman and the third-most in history behind spinners Shane Warne and Muttiah Muralitharan.
Stokes insists Anderson remains a ‘world-class’ performer but says the team need to give emerging bowlers a chance to find their feet as they look ahead to an Ashes tour in Australia next winter.
England’s decision, which was made by Stokes, head coach Brendon McCullum and director of cricket Rob Key, means the first Test against West Indies – which starts on Wednesday – will be Anderson’s last.
Asked if Anderson was still good enough for Test cricket, Stokes said: ‘No doubt about it. He is still incredible. But the decision was made with the Ashes in mind.
‘His skillset will be missed but I look at it this way, the group of bowlers we have now are at the worst they are going to be because they will only get better.
‘Their ceiling is so high, the more game time we can give them we will find ourselves in a very strong position in Australia.’
Anderson’s long-time bowling partner Stuart Broad bowed out of international cricket last summer, taking the final two wickets as England defeated Australia at The Oval to draw the thrilling Ashes series 2-2.
If Anderson takes eight wickets in the first Test of the summer against West Indies he will equal Australia legend Shane Warne’s incredible tally.
‘I hope he takes all 20 wickets if I’m being honest,’ Stokes added. ‘I listened to Stuart talk about his retirement and wanting to go out on top and there was one thing he said that even made me think about when the time comes for me to go.
‘He said: “I didn’t want a new player to come in and go “I thought Stuart Broad was meant to be good.” I thought: “Yeah that is a good thing to think about.”
‘Jimmy’s skillset is obviously still good enough for international cricket. But we have to make big decisions and we have got the Ashes to think about in 18 months’ time.
‘Nobody will ever say, “Oh is that Jimmy Anderson? I thought he was meant to be good” because he is still incredible.’
Anderson prepared for his final Test by taking 7-35 for Lancashire in a County Championship match against Nottinghamshire last week.
Stokes revealed he shared a lighthearted exchange with Anderson over text after watching him rip through Notts.
‘There was no doubt that Jimmy was going to do well. We’re good mates and I text him saying, “did you really have to do that?” and he replied: Sorry mate.”
‘He’s an amazing bowler. There’s no doubt that he could still go out there and play Test cricket because he is good enough. But we laid out our reasons and he totally understood it.
‘It’s obviously a hard thing for someone like Jimmy to have to listen to but we want him to help our bowlers in the dressing room even after this week and I think he’s excited for that too.
‘This week will all be about Jimmy, and rightly so, but I can tell you his focus is on taking wickets and trying to win this game for England.’
What has James Anderson said?
Anderson released an emotional statement on Instagram confirming the first Test of the summer would be the last of his extraordinary career.
‘Hi everyone. Just a note to say that the first Test of the summer at Lord’s will be my last Test,’ he said.
‘It’s been an incredible 20 years representing my country, playing the game I’ve loved since I was a kid. I’m going to miss walking out for England so much.
‘But I know the time is right to step aside and let others realise their dreams just like I got to, because there is no greater feeling.’
How did England explain the decision?
England cricket chief Rob Key explained the reasoning behind Anderson’s enforced retirement back in May.
‘When we made the decision and thought we needed to meet Jimmy to discuss the future, Brendon came to the conclusion that the right thing to do was to fly over to England,’ Key told the BBC’s Test Match Special County Cricket podcast.
‘We had a conversation for about an hour and a half, which Baz led. I don’t think Jimmy was expecting it, but I don’t think it was completely unexpected. In the back of his mind, he knew the time was coming.
‘We met Jimmy at a hotel near the station [in Manchester]. We discussed a lot of things; the future for Jimmy after playing.
‘We said “look, we think it’s time for us to move on, that we have to start looking towards the future”. It’s not just the Ashes.
‘We felt it was right that Jimmy and the public had the opportunity to say goodbye. We didn’t impress upon him that he needed to make the decision there and then. Then, not so long ago, he decided the Lord’s game would be his last.
‘Like all things, life moves on. English cricket is going to have to do without Jimmy Anderson. This is the right decision and this is the right time. Hopefully, he gets a fantastic end at Lord’s.
‘Can you imagine what it’s like to be known as probably the greatest bowler a country has ever had? Jimmy Anderson is comfortable with that.
‘I look back with fond memories of what Jimmy has achieved. In the last two years, he’s been outstanding. He’s done everything in the game as far as Test cricket is concerned.’
Michael Vaughan pays tribute to James Anderson
Ex-England captain Michael Vaughan has paid tribute to Anderson ahead of his final Test.
‘In international cricket, I think he has got 987 polls,’ Vaughan said. ‘He could easily be up there [in the list of all-time great cricketers].
‘He is certainly England’s greatest by a good mile or two because Stuart Broad is close and the likes of Freddie Trueman back in the day were outstanding. I think he is in the top 10 cricketers of all time.’
Australia star disagrees with England’s decision
After Anderson put on a show in Lancashire’s County Championship draw with Nottinghamshire, Australia spinner Nathan Lyon discussed the veteran’s retirement.
‘I’ve said this before, I’m very much surprised that England have tapped him on the shoulder,’ he said.
‘He’s class, he’s world-class. He’s probably the best to ever play the game as a fast bowler and his skillset, especially in England, is remarkable.’
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