London : English legendary pacer James Anderson marked end of an era after playing his final Test Match at Lord’s , ending on a winning note against West Indies.
Most successful Test pacer, with 704 wickets, it has been an era defining journey of class, fitness, achievements of a golden 21 years long career.
Having made Test debut in 2005 against Zimbabwe till today, he has been a sensation, on the same venue.
41 years old Anderson today left Cricket with 704 scalps, highest amount Test pacers.
After the end of his last match, he spoke every phase of his career in farewell speech with Sky Sports with Mike Atherton.
On his 20-year-long career
“It’s been an amazing 20 years. Bit overwhelmed with the reaction of the crowd this week. It’s been very special. To get a win, to contribute to a win, something that I’ve done all my career. Every time I’ve worn this short; I’ve tried to win games of cricket for England. To win this week in such a comprehensive manner has been brilliant.”
On whether he’s managed to soak up all the emotion
“It’s been different. The emotions have been up and down. To see my girls ring the bell on day one. To walk out today with both teams lined up [for the guard of honour] was pretty emotional. I forgot what I was trying to do with the ball when I walked out to bowl the first ball.
“It’s been incredible. The reaction of the crowd has been phenomenal. I can’t get my head around it right now. It’s just been an amazing 20 years.”
On the impact his family has had on his career
“You can’t have a long career without having the support and network behind you. Every player will say the same. We go on tours for long periods of time. And I think we talk a lot in the dressing room about creating memories as a team – it’s important that the families also create memories along the way.
“To see my kids ring the bell this week, it was an amazing moment for them. Something that they will never forget. I just hope they had as good a time as I did.”
On his special memories from his career
“Winning series and Test matches has been the only thing I’ve been interested in since I came into the England team. Winning in Australia, winning in India, becoming the number one side in the world, and contributing to those series, taking wickets. I think they are the things that I will remember forever. Playing with some of the greats of the game as well, it’s been really, really special.”
On whether he will miss fast bowling
“It is difficult. But you’ve got to have a bit of sadistic side to be a fast bowler. It does hurt. But I think I’ve never really shirked away from my responsibility. I’ve enjoyed walking off the field after bowling 20-25 overs in a day and feeling sore, feet hurting, legs hurting. That’s just the nature of it.
“I probably won’t miss not being able to get out of bed and sit on the toilet first thing in the morning (laughs).”
On what Test cricket has meant to him
“I just think that the amount of emotions you go through in a game, the ups and downs Test cricket brings [is unmatched]. When the captain throws you the ball at 6.00 PM, you’ve got to bowl full tilt when you might be sore; when you might be hurting. It shows how much you’ve got inside you. It tells you a lot about your character. It will tell you how deep you can actually dig.
“Managing people, working in partnerships and stuff like that, it all really helped me away from cricket as well.”
On the greatness of Test cricket
“Certainly for me, Test cricket is the perfect game. You go on a rollercoaster through the match. There are ups and downs. You’ve got to fight your way back into the match when you’re on the backfoot. When you’re on top, you’ve got to make the fullest use of the advantage you have.
“The satisfaction you get from a win, there’s no better feeling than that. I think white-ball cricket and T20 has been amazing for the game, and will continue to be, but sometimes you might get the rub of the green that might help you win games. There is no amount of luck that will help you win in Test cricket. You need to be on it as a team and perform well all week.”
On the dream debut of Gus Atkinson & his future as mentor
“He’s been magnificent. But I will say it will be downhill for him after taking 12 wickets on debut [laughs].
“What an amazing week he’s had. The thing I love about Gus, he went to India during winter and did not play a game. Worked so hard, worked on his run-up. To see the fruits of that, this week, it’s been amazing. I’m sure it will give him a lot of confidence going forward. I think he is going to be an amazing cricketer for England because he’s got all the attributes to do well in Test cricket.
“I think we’ve got a great group of young cricketers coming through as well. I’m really looking forward to working closely with them [as mentor].”
Anderson era thereby ends on a high note.
