"I Don’t Like Looking Too Far Ahead" - Anderson Downplays Retirement Talks

Cricketnext Staff | Updated: September 13, 2018, 8:12 AM IST

England pacer James Anderson, who recently broke Glenn McGrath's record and became the highest wicket-taking fast bowler has said that he isn't thinking about retiring anytime soon but at the same time admitted that his body could give up at any stage.

“I don’t really think about it. I play my best when I focus on what’s ahead of me, the next game, the next series, whatever. I go away now, we have a decent break before Sri Lanka, I’ll try to get myself in the best condition possible to cope with the rigours of bowling seam in Sri Lanka, which could be tough. Then we’ll see how it goes,” Anderson said.

“I read something that Glenn McGrath said that he went into the 2006 Ashes with no intention of retiring and by the end of it he thought his time was up. That could happen to me. Who knows?

“I don’t like looking too far ahead. I don’t think it helps me or the team either, when we look too far ahead, whether it’s in a session or a day or a game. If you look too far ahead you take your eye off the here and now and that’s what I like to focus on,” he added.

Anderson plays only Test cricket for England and the team plays six Test matches - three against Sri Lanka and West Indies each - before a four-day game against Ireland followed by The Ashes.

There have also been talks of the talismanic pacer getting a rest before the Sri Lanka series, however, the 36-year-old has said that he wants to play as much as possible.

“We came into this five-Test series in six weeks with question marks: will the bowlers get through? We’ve got two 30-plus bowlers (Anderson and Broad), will they need resting or will they get injuries? And we’ve done it,” said Anderson.

“We pride ourselves on working hard when we got the chance and we got that time off. Myself and Stuart don’t play white ball cricket so we have that time to be able to get ourselves in the right frame of mind, the right physical condition to cope with what’s ahead of us.”