After Moeen Ali, Ben Stokes uses 'text message tactic' on James Anderson to cancel retirement after initially forcing him into it

Is James Anderson retiring from Test cricket too soon? This is the question that has been doing the rounds in the cricketing fraternity after the veteran pacer's exploits for Lancashire in a recent County Championship match.

The England pacer will be bringing down curtains on his illustrious Test career after the Lord's Test against West Indies, starting on Wednesday (July 10). In May, James Anderson announced that he would be retiring from international cricket after the first Test of the three-match series against West Indies.

The announcement came just a handful of weeks after he became the first-ever pacer to pick up 700 wickets in Tests, achieving the monumental milestone against India during the Dharamsala Test in March. James Anderson might have played a few more Tests for England but decided to hang up the boots after captain Ben Stokes as well as head coach Brendon McCullum told him 'it's time to move on'.

Ben Stokes on James Anderson's spell:

The England captain has been facing criticism from several quarters for persuading the veteran pacer to retire. And things could get worse for him after James Anderson's brilliant 7-wicket haul for Lancashire against Nottinghamshire in his first competitive game since the Dharamsala Test. He picked up 7 wickets in the first innings before taking one more in the second.

With Anderson still looking sharp with the ball, many believe that he still has a lot to offer in Tests. And Ben Stokes was asked a similar question while he was addressing the media ahead of the first Test against West Indies. The England captain was asked whether he thought Anderson was retiring too soon after seeing his spell for Lancashire.

In reply, Ben Stokes said: "No, there was no doubt that Jimmy was going to do well. I'm good mates with Jimmy, I did text him saying, 'did you really have to go and do that?' His reply was, 'sorry mate'. But look, he's an amazing bowler.

Speaking further, the veteran allrounder said that while Anderson is still capable of performing well in Test cricket, the team had to ask him to move on from international cricket. He also said that Anderson is desperate to deliver a match-winning performance for England in his final Test.

"There's no doubt that he could still go out there and play Test cricket because he is good enough. But when we spoke with Jimmy, we laid it out with him and gave him the reasons and he totally understood it. It's obviously a very hard thing for someone like Jimmy to have to listen to," said Stokes.

"But as well, I think the role in which we see him falling into after this week about still being in the dressing room and helping all of our bowlers, he's very, very excited by as well.

"This week will all be about Jimmy, and rightly so, but I can tell you that his main focus is about going out there, taking wickets and trying to win this game for England as much as he can. I'm sure when we're done here this week, that's when everything else will take over. But he's desperate to go out there and still put in a winning performance for England," he added.

"I did text him saying did you really have to do that and he replied with sorry mate" 😆

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