James Anderson to retire from Test after Brendon McCullum tells him the future plans for the Test team: Report

James Anderson is reportedly set to bring down curtains on his illustrious Test career after the conclusion of the forthcoming home season.

According to a report in The Guardian, the veteran pacer decided to hang up his boots after head coach Brendon McCullum told him that he intends to look to the future this summer, building towards the 2025-26 Ashes. The former New Zealand captain conveyed his message to James Anderson over a round of golf after flying to the UK this week.

The right-arm pacer will be 43 when England travels to Australia for the next Ashes series in the 2025-26 season. With England eyeing their first Ashes win in over a decade, Brendon McCullum has already started planning for it.

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In recent tours of Australia, England's pacers have struggled to make a big impact and it looks like the English team management is focusing on the pace attack first.

In the upcoming home season, England are scheduled to play six Tests - three each against West Indies and Sri Lanka. While there are doubts over whether James Anderson will be playing in all the games, he is likely to get a grand farewell.

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He is also likely to get a chance to play at his home ground when England host Sri Lanka at Old Trafford for the first game of the three-match series.

With James Anderson's days in international cricket numbered, England are set to have a very new-looking pace attack for the upcoming season. With Stuart Broad already retired and Anderson likely to hang his boots after the next home season, England will have their task cut out as they look to replace the legendary duo.

James Anderson's career in numbers:

James Anderson will bow out of Test cricket as England's most decorated bowler of all time and one of the greatest pacers in the history of the game. No pacer has taken more wickets than him in the longest format of the game.

He is the first pacer to touch the 600 and 700-wicket mark in Tests. At present, he is the third-highest wicket-taker in Tests behind Muttiah Muralitharan and Shane Warne. James Anderson needs 9 more wickets to go past Warne's tally of 708 wickets. In 187 Tests so far, he has picked up 700 wickets.