Shane Warne Suggests A Unique Way To Prolong James Anderson's Career

James Anderson might perhaps be one of the most durable cricketers of the present era. Having made his Test debut in 2003, James Anderson is one wicket away from reaching 600 and played more than 150 Tests. While still one of the most effective and lethal bowlers, the English veteran’s workload needs managing. In the wake of this, Shane Warne has come up with a unique suggestion.

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Ahead of the second Test of the ongoing series against Pakistan, there were speculations about James Anderson taking a call on his future. In the first Test in Manchester, the strike bowler took only one wicket across two innings as the hosts scraped through to an unlikely victory. However, the 38-year old dismissed the hearsays and declared his intention to play for another year.

Shane Warne hailed James Anderson for all his exploits throughout these years; however, is interested to know how will England manage his workload at 38. Hence, Warne suggested that the swing bowler play in the home series and take up a coaching role in the away ones to prolong his career. The 50-year reckons that Anderson is an automatic pick for home conditions but not for overseas.

“Watching Jimmy [James Anderson], he’s a class act. I’m interested to see how things pan out now he’s 38. You want Jimmy to play as long as he possibly can, so is there a way he could be bowling coach away from home?

“Then, in England, you say ‘we want you to play for another three or four years. If you’re picking your side here [in England], Anderson is your first pencilled in. Is he your first pencilled in overseas? I’m not sure,” Warne told Sky Sports.

James Anderson is probably the only one that can answer that: Shane Warne

On the topic of retirement, the 145-Test veteran stated that only Anderson knows what to do. At the same time, Warne added that a player should hang up his boots when at their best only then people will miss their excellence. When playing for too long, critics might advise retirement, saying they are not at their best.

“I’m not sure what the right thing is to do. Jimmy is probably the only one that can answer that. That’s the best thing – to go out on top, when people think you can still play for longer.

“Because then they miss what you brought to the table, miss watching you play. If you play too long, people start saying, ‘he should retire, he’s not at his best,” the Victorian added.

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