'I still had want and hunger to play...' - James Anderson Finally Breaks Silence on Test Retirement

Ten months have passed since England Test star James Anderson announced his retirement from international cricket following the Lord's first Test match against the West Indies. The management of the England team, including captain Ben Stokes and coach Brendon McCullum, advised the 42-year-old that "it's time for them to move on," but the former England bowler has stated that "he wasn't anywhere near retirement in his head."

The legend from Lancashire revealed some intriguing facts regarding his retirement, stating that he did not consider himself close to retirement. The master of pace bowling stated that he still had 12 to 18 months of Test cricket left in him and that the management had made the decision to let him go. He was disappointed by the decision made by the people in the background.

James Anderson Reveals His Feelings:

In an interview, James Anderson told The Independent, “I’m still a bit mixed on it. It’s one of those things that was out of my hands. They made the decision to move away from having me in the team. That was pretty gutting at the time. I’d been preparing before my last Test match for the next six, 12, 18 months of Test cricket; I wasn’t anywhere near retirement in my head. I felt I still had that want and hunger to play, to do the hard yards, the training, the skill work."

James Anderson added that his career was greatly impacted by taking over as the team's bowling guru as soon as he retired. 'Burnley Express' reported that even when his playing days were over, he was content to be in the dressing room. The England mainstay also talked about how the crowd's response on the last day of the Test series against the West Indies overwhelmed him.

He confessed, “If I’d just left the team after that West Indies Test match, it would have been more difficult for me to make sense of everything and deal with the fact that that was the end. To stay around the team and still be in the dressing room, still trying to have an impact on Test matches, I think that was good for me. The reaction was above and beyond anything I’d ever expected. That last day against the West Indies: I think it was just an hour or so on that last morning, but the ground was full. It was amazing to see a sea of people there."

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