ANDERSON: I ALMOST QUIT OVER WINDIES TOUR SNUB
Icon Jimmy considered retiring but after talks with his family thankfully opted to keep swinging
JAMES ANDERSON considered quitting cricket after being axed by England for the tour of the West Indies.
The 39-year-old was even left wondering if it had been something he had done wrong in the dressing room that led to the decision to leave him and fellow bowling legend Stuart Broad (inset below) at home. Anderson mulled things over with his family before arriving at the conclusion that he still wanted to keep going this season with or without Test cricket.
And with so many other England bowlers struggling with injuries, it was a good decision, with the first Test squad to face New Zealand next month to be announced today. “I definitely questioned it,” said Anderson. “I asked myself, ‘do I want to carry on?’.
“You do start questioning other things when something like that happens. Is it something I’ve done around the group? That is the one thing you start thinking about, but with the cricket I’m pretty confident that I’m doing OK. “I think the longer time went on the more I just wanted to play. I talked it through with my family and they saw it as I did.
“I’ve still got more to give to the game whether it is with Lancshire or England. I’ve still got the ability to take wickets and I want to still do that. It’s been so much fun and I’m really enjoying playing cricket at the minute.” Anderson has shown his form in the County Championship and this week cleaned bowled the best batsman in the world right now.
The fact he was Joe Root, playing for Yorkshire in a Roses clash at Headingley as Anderson was busy pushing for victory for Lancashire was simply a bonus. Root skippered England in the Caribbean, but Anderson was not holding anything against him, nor did he rub it in after splaying Root’s stumps.
“Absolutely not,” added Anderson at an LV= event in Leicester to support 4,000 grassroots coaches through the #Funds4Runs initiative.
“I didn’t need to say anything to Joe. We just had to pick the two stumps off the floor.
“I’ve watched the video a few times because it was a good ball. A bit of reverse swing I think. Joe had got 140 in the first innings, so we know how good he is.
“We talked during the game. We haven’t fallen out or anything. I spoke to him before he announced he was stepping down. There is still a huge amount of respect between the two of us.”
Respect is something clearly there when Anderson spoke about new Test captain Ben Stokes and new coach Brendon McCullum who he hopes will be a “match made in heaven.”
And he is confident the team will not just become an extended version of a white ball side.
“McCullum will bring fresh ideas and energy to that group,” said Anderson. “Ben will do the same with his captaincy, he’s a very energetic bloke, passionate about English cricket and just a born leader.
“He reads the situation really well. He can bat out for a draw if he needs to, he can soak up pressure if he needs to. It’s going to be a sensible approach. Hopefully from English cricket’s point of view it’s a match made in heaven.”
James Anderson surprised Leicester Electricity Sports Cricket Club with a visit during a friendly organised by Test partners LV= Insurance who together with the ECB also announced support for 4,000 grassroots coaches through their #Funds4Runs community initiative.