Despite his impending retirement from Test cricket, James Anderson claims there's a part of him that believes he might play for ten more years.
Anderson's illustrious career will come to an end in July's first Test match against the West Indies, as the England management informed the 41-year-old they wanted to focus on the future.
In an interview on his Tailenders podcast, Anderson stated: "In my head, I feel like I could play for 10 years. Obviously, I realise that is not realistic. Some days I wake up and wish I was not retiring. Ninety per cent of the time I’m happy with it. Not many people in sports get the chance to retire over the age of 40. I'm happy I've made it this far."
Following discussions with Ben Stokes, managing director Rob Key, and head coach Brendon McCullum, Anderson—who has 700 Test wickets to his name—decided to retire.
The four men first met in April, but it wasn't until May 11 that Anderson's retirement became known to the public due to media stories.
After that, Key told the BBC that the three men leading England "think it is time to move on".
Even though Anderson was forced to decide to retire, he acknowledged that the last few years of his career had been "draining" due to uncertainty about his future.
"There's been two or three moments on the field, if the opposition are 500-3, I'll be thinking, 'do I really want to still be doing this?'" he stated. "They are fleeting thoughts - nothing that has stuck with me for more than an over. I don't know how much of that was me, and how much it was the external noise that comes with ageing. For the last six years, or even longer, it's been, 'How long can you go on for?' That in itself, certainly for the last couple of years, has been quite draining."
Anderson made it clear that, contrary to what was popularly believed, he and McCullum did not have conversations over a round of golf. Key, McCullum, Anderson, and Stokes got together in a Manchester hotel.
The pace bowler has not yet made it known to the public if he intends to play for Lancashire after his Test career is over.
He will play for the Red Rose in County Championship matches against Kent at Canterbury and Nottinghamshire at Southport at the end of June to prepare for his final Test, which starts at Lord's on July 10.