“I have no interest in going anywhere anytime soon”: James Anderson

London [UK]: England pacer James Anderson on Friday said that he has no intentions of retiring from the international cricket anytime soon.

After the end of the day two of the fifth Test of the Ashes series, Anderson said as quoted by Sky Sports, “In terms of retirement I have no interest in going anywhere anytime soon.” Anderson who will celebrate his 41st birthday on Sunday, has taken five wickets at an average of 74.80 so far in the Ashes series 2023.

“If Stokesy [captain Ben Stokes] and Baz [Test coach Brendon McCullum] say, ‘you have not got the wickets we would like’, I am absolutely fine with that but I feel like I have a lot more to give,” Anderson continued.

The England’s leading Test wicket-taker with 691 scalps, said that he is hearing about the retirement question for the last six years, however, he feel that his skills are still good.

“I have tried not to listen to the comments. For me that question has been there for the last six years, even longer. As soon as you get into your 30s as a bowler, it’s, ‘how long has he got left?’ The last three or four years I feel like I have bowled as well as I ever have. I feel like I have been in so much control, my body is in a good place, my skills are as good as they have ever been,” Anderson said.

On day two of the fifth Test, Anderson took one wicket in the afternoon taking Mitchell Marsh’s scalp.

“I don’t feel like I’m bowling badly or am losing pace or that I am on the way out. I still feel I can offer a lot to this team. I’d like to [decide when I go]. I try to look at it objectively. Yes, I have not got the wickets but I am still trying to do the job for the team and help the guy out at the other end.

“I tried to bowl a lot of wobble seam yesterday whereas today I just tried to hit the pitch as hard as I could. I got a bit of swing and seam movement now and then but I was just trying to keep it as simple as possible,” Anderson added.

Domination by England pace bowlers helped them stay alive in the fifth and final Ashes Test against Australia at The Oval on Friday as the visitors could gain only a slender lead of 12 runs at the end of day two play.