After playing the first Test of the three-match series between England and the West Indies, which begins on Wednesday, July 10, at Lord’s in London, James Anderson is all prepared to say goodbye to international cricket. The future generation of cricket players was advised by the famous player to choose Test cricket over “chasing the dollar” prior to his retirement.
In order to continue his quest in the longest version of the game, James Anderson cut short his white-ball career. His 188th outing for the Three Lions in the format will come in The Lord’s Test. His only opponent in Test matches played is Sachin Tendulkar (200). With 700 Test wickets under his belt, the 41-year-old is second only to Shane Warne and Muttiah Muralitharan in the list the format’s top wicket-takers.
Test cricket was the most significant format for cricketers in 2002, when Anderson made his debut for his country. But with the introduction of T20 cricket, many cricketers’ goals have shifted, particularly in the financially lucrative franchise leagues across the globe. When compared to Test cricket, fast bowlers in particular receive generous compensation for a reduced workload. Nonetheless, Anderson feels that playing red-ball cricket helped to mould him into the man he is now, and the satisfaction he derives from working all day is unmatched.
I genuinely believe that playing test cricket has shaped who I am. Over the years, it has helped me learn a great deal and strengthened my ability to bounce back from setbacks. According to France 24, Anderson stated, “I think the fulfilment you get from putting in a shift in a day’s cricket is different to anything else you can do in the game.”
Taking wickets that are caught on the boundary will never bring me the same sense of satisfaction or joy: James Anderson
James Anderson also shared his opinions about the growth of Twenty20 cricket and how it affects aspiring young players. The renowned bowler contemplated the financial power that the global T20 leagues provide. Being a true cricket enthusiast, he did, however, disclose that the real thrill of the game lies mainly in stunning the batters with your skill rather than catching them on the boundary ropes, which is more common in today’s T20 cricket.
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“I know bowling four overs in Twenty20 cricket can make you a lot of money, but personally, I would never feel the same kind of satisfaction or joy from taking wickets that are caught on the boundary as opposed to actually giving a batter a working-over and figuring someone out.” Instead of chasing money, I just hope that enough young professionals and children out there still want that to be the case,” the Lancashire pacer continued.
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