'Don’t want to drag it' - 'Privileged' James Anderson on his retirement plans

Veteran pacer James Anderson has candidly shared his retirement plans. The 41-year-old, who has etched his name in cricket’s history, expressed his desire to exit the game on a positive and memorable note but did not share a timeline. Notably, the Lancashire pacer holds a staggering record of 696 wickets in 185 Tests and is just behind legendary spinner Shane Warne (708) and former Sri Lankan maestro Muttiah Muralitharan (800) in terms of most wickets in international red-ball cricket.

He is currently in action against India and has clarified that he does not wish to prolong his retirement decision. He shared the example of former cricketer Eoin Morgan, who announced his retirement without much of a buildup and hopes for that moment when he wakes up and instinctively knows it is time to bid farewell to the sport he has graced for decades.

“I would like to be able to go out on a nice note. I don’t want to drag it out and people are thinking: ‘Can you just do one.’ Morgs (Morgan) last year woke up and just knew it was time to call it a day. I am just hoping that is the case,” Anderson said to The Telegraph.

Also read: James Anderson is 41 and still England's best bowler: Cheteshwar Pujara

The pursuit of 700 Test wickets looms large for Anderson, who stands on the cusp of becoming the sole pacer to achieve this remarkable milestone. His unwavering commitment to England’s cause remains evident, and he acknowledges the privilege of being able to make this decision himself. 

“I feel privileged to have got in a position where I can make a decision because, as a bowler, it is usually taken out of your hands with injury or selection. It will be nice to go out on my own terms, but when that will be, you just have to wait and see,” Anderson added.

On the morning of Day 2 in Rajkot, Anderson picked up the wicket of Kuldeep Yadav to move another inch closer to the record 700th wicket.