England Test captain Ben Stokes wants legendary pacer James Anderson to remain associated with the national team even after his retirement. The pace-bowling icon drew curtains on his illustrious career with a dominant victory over the West Indies at Lord’s on July 12. It was an emotional occasion for Anderson, who has donned the whites for England for over two decades.
After his final Test, Stokes was asked if he would like to see Anderson as the team’s fast-bowling coach by the Ashes next year. The all-rounder quickly admitted, “Yeah, definitely. That’s why we’re asking him to stay around,” as quoted by the Daily Mail.
Stokes believes Anderson will be the right person to guide the emerging pacers. “If he’s got the desire to help bowlers progress as he did with his own career, honestly, I can’t think of a better person to be able to influence all the fast bowlers. I’m really excited to see how that goes,” Stokes added.
If that actually happens, James Anderson doesn’t want to teach the young pacers “how to bowl.” “I’ll be a sounding board; I’ll be there if they need me. I’ll watch every ball they bowl and try to help them as much as I can,” the 41-year-old revealed, replying to Ben Stokes.
Former Durham seamer Neil Killeen currently holds the position of England’s fast-bowling coach. His involvement with the Test squad, however, has been limited. If Anderson takes over the helm, it will result in a significant overhaul of England’s setup in the longest format.
In an emotional farewell speech at Lord’s, Anderson said, “It’s been an amazing 20 years. Overwhelming to see the crowd’s reaction. It has been pretty special. Every time I wear this shirt, I try to win games for England.”
The legendary pacer has retired as the third-highest wicket-taker in Tests with 704 scalps. He represented England in 188 Tests and also featured in 194 ODIs to scalp 269 wickets.
Anderson will not be part of the remaining matches of the West Indies series. England has already taken the lead in the three-match assignment. The second Test is slated to begin on July 18 at Trent Bridge.
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