"F**k Off" - Ben Stokes shares James Anderson's reaction to Debutant Gus Atkinson's apology

England captain Ben Stokes revealed veteran pacer James Anderson's reaction after debutant Gus Atkinson took the final wicket of the first Test match against the West Indies. Ben Stokes stated that Gus Atkinson apologized to James Anderson for taking the last wicket in the West Indies' second innings.

James Anderson ended his illustrious international career after England defeated West Indies in the first Test of the three-match series at Lord's Cricket Ground on Friday, July 12. Anderson, known as one of the greatest bowlers in history, retired as the only pacer to have taken more than 700 wickets in Tests.

Gus Atkinson dismissed Windies tailender Jayden Seales to finish the match. The Ben Stokes-led team secured the victory by an innings and 114 runs in the series opener. Atkinson had an outstanding debut, taking 12 wickets in two innings. The debutant was named "Player of the Match" for his outstanding bowling.

Gus Atkinson Actually Apologised To James Anderson - Ben Stokes

During the post-match press conference, Ben Stokes said that Gus Atkinson felt that James Anderson deserved a fairytale ending like Stuart Broad's. Stokes stated that Anderson responded to Atkinson's apology with a laugh, which showcased his selflessness.

“Gus took that last wicket and he actually apologized to Jimmy and Jimmy just laughed at him and just went ‘no, mate’. You know someone who deserved their fairytale ending like Broady (Stuart Broad) got, to put a young teammate first, I think that says a lot about Jimmy Anderson the person,” Stokes said.

Ben Stokes reveals James Anderson’s reaction when Gus Atkinson apologised for taking the final wicket 😂 pic.twitter.com/ZunhcUVXXQ

— ESPNcricinfo (@ESPNcricinfo) July 12, 2024

In his farewell Test, the 41-year-old needed 9 wickets to surpass Shane Warne's tally of 708 and become the highest wicket-taker in Tests. He took just one wicket in the first innings but claimed three more in the second. Anderson picked up 704 wickets in 188 Test matches at an impressive average of 26.46.

I Said He Was Going To Bowl - Ben Stokes

Ben Stokes stated that he wanted to give James Anderson every chance to take the final wicket of the match. Stokes mentioned he intended to keep Anderson bowling until the last wicket fell, regardless of how long it took.

"I didn't tell Jimmy, but I said he was always going to bowl until we took that last wicket. However long it took, I wasn't going to take him off. Even if he said he was tired, I was like, 'you gotta keep going here'," Stokes further stated.

England team management informed James Anderson in April that they would be transitioning away from him this summer as they focus on the Ashes 2026 in Australia. The right-arm pacer is excited to be part of the England Test team as a fast-bowling mentor for the remainder of the English summer.

With 188 Test matches, Anderson is the second most capped Test cricketer, following Sachin Tendulkar (200). The veteran cricketer holds the record for the most wickets caught by a wicketkeeper with 249 dismissals. He has the second-most wickets bowled by a pacer, with an impressive tally of 137 wickets.

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