10 May 2024 , 16:12
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England legend James Anderson is set to retire from international cricket this summer, according to reports.
Anderson is the highest wicket-taking seamer in Test match history, having claimed 700 victims in a storied international career that has lasted more than 20 years. However, he is now expected to announce his retirement following talks with Test coach Brendon McCullum.
According to the Guardian, Anderson recently met with McCullum in-person after the New Zealander flew to the UK to tell him that England were going to start 'looking to the future'.
Following last summer's drawn Ashes series, England are starting to plan for the 2025-26 tour of Australia and Anderson will be 43 by then. As a result, Anderson is set to retire after England's upcoming Test series against West Indies and Sri Lanka this summer.
His long-time bowling partner Stuart Broad called time on his career last summer and enjoyed a fairytale farewell as he rode off into the sunset after taking a wicket with his final ball to ensure England drew the Ashes.
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Anderson will be looking to do the same this summer after some disappointing performances in England's last two series against Australia and India. Across eight games, the seamer took 15 wickets at an average of 50.80 and admitted back in March that his place in the side was "not a given".
"I'm really excited for the summer," he said on his BBC podcast Tailenders. "I'm definitely in the best shape I've ever been in. I'm not getting any worse. I like where my game is at and I still have that enjoyment of turning up every day and trying to get better in the nets.
Anderson will retire as the highest wicket-taking seamer in Test history (Alex Davidson/Getty Images)"My place in the team is not a given, so I've got to work hard to prove I'm worth a place in the summer." England will now focus on refreshing their seam attack, with opportunities expected to be handed to a number of promising prospects.
The likes of Matt Potts, Josh Tongue, Brydon Carse and Gus Atkinson will be in the mix after signing two-year central contracts last October, while Matthew Fisher, John Turner and Saqib Mahmood are on development contracts.
Ollie Robinson's England future remains up in the air after his recent fitness struggles, although the 30-year-old does boast a very impressive record of 76 wickets at 22.92 across 20 Test matches.
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