(Reuters) – England fast bowler James Anderson said he has “no interest” in retiring from the game any time soon despite his age and his poor form in the Ashes against Australia.
Anderson, who turns 41 on Sunday, is England’s leading wicket taker in tests with 690 dismissals. But he has picked up only five wickets in the Ashes so far at an average of a shade under 75.
Anderson said he would continue to play as long as he still had the support of skipper Ben Stokes and coach Brendon McCullum, under whom he has taken 50 wickets in 14 tests.
“As soon as you get into your thirties as a bowler, people are asking how long you’ve got left. But in the past three or four years, I’ve bowled as well as I ever have,” Anderson told the BBC.
“I feel like I’ve been in so much control, my body has been in a good place, my skills are as good as they ever have been. The numbers, the wickets, the selection side of it is a completely different issue.
“If Stokesy and Baz (McCullum) say ‘You’ve not got the wickets we would have liked,’ then I’d be absolutely fine with that. In terms of retirement, I’ve got no interest in going any time soon.”
Anderson, who suffered a groin injury in the lead-up to the Ashes, admitted that he was going through a “lean patch” but backed himself to rebound in the second innings of the final test where Australia lead the hosts by 12 runs.
The Oval test is his last chance to prove himself this year with England not playing red ball cricket again until they tour India in January.
“I’ve still got another innings to try to do something for the team,” he added.
“I don’t feel like I’m bowling badly or losing pace or that I’m on the way out. I still feel I can offer a lot to this team.”
(Reporting by Rohith Nair in Bengaluru; Editing by Muralikumar Anantharaman)
