Speaking ahead of the three-match series between a rejuvenated England side and the current leaders in the World Test Championship, one that begins on Wednesday, Anderson said only Stuart Broad, four years his junior, will go on as long as he has. “Maybe Brodie,” said Anderson, when asked if he could see another 40-year-old seaman playing Test cricket. “But certainly not after that, because no one will be foolish enough. Everything that has happened in the world with franchise cricket, the Hundred, the short formats of the game, I can’t see anyone wanting to play Test cricket for that long.” Anderson, who turned 40 on July 30, agreed that Trent Boult’s recent exit from his central New Zealand contract to focus on time at home and the T20 championships represented a “landmark” moment for the sport “because it is such a high-profile international player and I can certainly see that happening more and more, particularly with the bowlers.” Asked if this expected trend saddened him, Anderson said: “That’s because Test cricket will probably bear the brunt. The easiest thing to do for bowlers is to bowl four overs or 20 balls. It does you no good. And if you’re getting paid just as well, it probably makes sense – it’s going to attract more people than not.” Even in the age of central contracts and improved sports science – plus his own expertise in testing since 2015 – Anderson is an outlier. Should he claim a wicket this week, he would become the first England front-rower in his fifth decade to do so in Test cricket since Les Jackson against Australia in 1961 at the age of 40 years and 125 days. Jimmy Anderson reacts after taking the wicket of India’s Cheteshwar Pujara during England’s win at Edgbaston in July. Photo: Alex Davidson/Getty Images Not that Anderson is feeling his age, with England’s record number of Test wickets (657 victims to date) buoyed by the positivity he has swept through the dressing room since Ben Stokes and Brendon McCullum took over as captain and coach, and four Back-to-back thrilling victories against New Zealand and India followed. They have done so with an evangelical zeal as Stokes and McCullum try to spread the word of Test cricket through their hyper-aggressive approach. “Even if we weren’t playing that way, I still think Test cricket is an amazing format,” Anderson said. “I hope people see it and want to be a part of it, growing up wanting to play Test cricket. Our job and responsibility as Test cricketers is to promote the game and encourage as many people as possible to watch it and play it when they grow up.” The so-called “Bazball” approach – a term England have tried to play down – has been a topic of discussion throughout the summer, with Mark Boucher, the South Africa manager, joking before a press conference on Monday that anyone using the term should drink a shot of tequila (a drinking game that could be called “Bouchball”, perhaps); The former Proteas wicketkeeper’s lighthearted mood continued, saying his side’s recent loss to the England Lions in Canterbury – when the apprentices piled up 672 at over 5.5 runs per over – taught them “how to bring the ball”. Boucher emphasized that the fixture was purely a warm-up, not a form guide ahead of the first test. Subscribe to our cricket newsletter for our writers’ thoughts on the biggest stories and a review of the week’s action Privacy Notice: Newsletters may contain information about charities, online advertising and content sponsored by external parties. For more information, see our Privacy Policy. We use Google reCaptcha to protect our website and Google’s Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. South Africa’s record at Lord’s is particularly strong, having won four of the six Tests at the ground since re-admission, but Boucher is aware that the current generation lacks experience here. To that end, the team gave them a tour on arrival, including a visit to the museum, with the reaction encouraging for the coach. “This is where legends are made,” he said. “We went into the locker room and you see all the names on the board. There are so many stories surrounding these shows. All the players looked in awe of what was around them. There is a lot of passion and emotions run high. On a good road. “As a manager you don’t really have to try to get the boys to prepare for a game like that. Youngsters want to play on this ground, hopefully they can create something special and become legends in the game like many cricketers have in the past.” The teams have one last practice before the series begins. Apart from the return of Ben Foakes, England are expected to remain unchanged from July’s win over India – Ollie Robinson, fresh from five wickets for the Lions, looks closer to changing his mind – while Boucher is optimistic that Kagiso Rabada will be fit after ankle problem on tour.
