James Anderson has expressed that he is "at peace" with his impending retirement from England cricket, even though he believes he is "bowling as well as ever" as he prepares for his final Test at Lord's. England's decision to move forward without the 41-year-old, who is the leading wicket-taker among fast bowlers in Test history with 700 wickets in 187 matches, is part of their strategy for the next Ashes tour to Australia in 2025-26.
Anderson's illustrious international career will conclude against the West Indies at Lord's, the same venue where he made his Test debut against Zimbabwe in May 2003. Reflecting on his record, Anderson's stats are impressive:
- Matches: 187
- Wickets: 700
- Bowling average: 26.52
- Overs bowled: 6646.1
- Best figures in an innings: 7-62
- Best figures in a match: 11-71
- Five-wicket hauls: 32
- Ten-wicket hauls: 3
Anderson recently prepared for his farewell with a seven-wicket performance for Lancashire against Nottinghamshire in the County Championship. When asked if he felt he was leaving England duty too soon, Anderson responded, "It's difficult to say, but I haven't really got a choice! It’s been a pretty strange couple of months, but I feel pretty happy with where things are. I can completely understand the direction the management and the team want to take."
He further added, "I have made peace with that, and we will see what the future holds. Coming off a seven-for last week, I still feel I am bowling as well as I ever have, but I knew it had to end at some point. Whether it's now, a year, or two years later... the fact that it is now is just something I have to deal with and accept."
Anderson emphasised that he has no regrets about his career, stating, "I have played hundreds of games for England, in both white-ball and red-ball cricket. I have played longer than many people get the opportunity to."