James Anderson recites late England icon Bob Willis’ handwritten poetry after retirement

Known as “lethal” among the likes of Wayne Daniel and Michael Holding, Bob Willis was one of England’s best pacers. Prior to his death in 2019, the seasoned cricket player wrote a handwritten note expressing his appreciation for James Anderson. After his last international match at Lord’s on July 12, Anderson posted a video of himself reading Willis’ poem on social media.

After James Anderson in 2015 broke former England all-rounder Ian Botham’s wicket count, a letter was sent.

On the final day of the Test, Anderson—who was participating in his 100th Test—captured Denesh Ramdin’s wicket to exceed Botham’s record of 383 wickets. As time passed, Anderson amassed 704 wickets in Test matches, placing him first and third in the pacer’s pantheon overall.

“Did you ever imagine yourself as the top wicket-taker when you were training with Cooley and Seca? But you were the best of the group because of all that hard work you put in during lunch. It’s an incredible accomplishment to surpass Beefy’s [Ian Botham] total—a record that will never be surpassed. Who would have guessed that at St Theodore’s, given what you’ve seen of all the carriages from Fletcher to Moors? As can be seen in the video that Sky Sports Cricket posted, Bob wrote in his letter, “Don’t forget the batting and watching the night, the Burnley Lara shows plenty of fight.”

But when it comes to the ball, you have no rivals—the swing king has been the greatest for years. So, Jimmy, congratulations on a job well done. Big Bob will always be very respectful of you. You have to toss it. He’s in attendance. Isn’t there just one more thing we need to do?” he asked.

Here’s the video of Anderson’s recitation:

James Anderson reads out the poem that Bob Willis wrote for him.#BlueForBob 💙 pic.twitter.com/EkqCcFvKuO

— Sky Sports Cricket (@SkyCricket) July 27, 2024

England’s white-ball coach will be Andrew Flintoff.

The 42-year-old has expressed interest in joining the squad in different roles in the future. The administration is attempting to convince Anderson to accept the role of bowling coach, as even England captain Ben Stokes disclosed.

Also Read: ENG against WI 2024: Joe Root surpassed Brian Lara’s record of Test runs

Nevertheless, after terrible performances at ICC events, there are whispers circulating that former England all-rounder Andrew Flintoff will take Matthew Mott’s place as England’s white-ball guide.