Jimmy Anderson, who plays his final international match at Lord’s next week, will serve as a mentor to England’s bowlers this summer. Anderson was selected to play his 188th Test match against the West Indies in the first Test, allowing him to retire in front of his home fans after taking 700 wickets in a 22-year career. .
England men’s general manager Rob Key said the 41-year-old could be made permanent coach if things go well. “English cricket will be very lucky if he chooses to stay in our game,” he said. “Then we’ll see what happens at the end of the summer. It could be something he doesn’t think is right or it could be something he absolutely loves. But he has given so much to English cricket and we don’t want to see that go to waste. .
“It’s also something he’s very passionate about doing. He hasn’t done a lot of it yet [coaching]but there is no doubt about his bowling knowledge and experience.
Anderson will represent Lancashire against Nottinghamshire in the County Championship at Southport this week, but a decision has yet to be made on his future appearances in county cricket.
Key spoke for the first time since England’s Test squad was announced on Sunday and included some noteworthy arrivals. With Anderson’s retirement, Nottinghamshire hurler Dillon Pennington and Surrey’s Gus Atkinson have also been called up. Key confirmed that Mark Wood will miss the start of the series to recover from the T20 World Cup, while Ollie Robinson “needs to be back to his best” to be re-selected. “Now is simply not the time to stop because there are some really good bowlers out there.”
England named uncapped Jamie Smith to keep the wicket ahead of Jonny Bairstow and his Surrey teammate Ben Foakes, whom Key called “Rare talent”. The 23-year-old has averaged over 50 runs in the County Championship this season and is tipped to provide a long-term option as a wicketkeeper/batsman at Test level.
“Sometimes you select guys based on their future and where you think they can progress to,” Key said. “This is a start for Jamie Smith. We think he will become a great international cricketer.
Bairstow, who played his 100th Test in Dharamshala during England’s 4-1 series loss to India in March, said he “needs to get back to where he was a few years ago”. In 2022, Bairstow scored six consecutive Test centuries in the early months of Ben Stokes and Brendon McCullum’s reign, before A freak golf accident broke his leg and required surgery. He hasn’t hit the same heights since his injury.
“Overall, his form, in any form, is kind of going in the wrong direction,” Key said. “Being a goalkeeper is a tough job and you need someone who can back you up series after series. We don’t believe Jonny can do that, especially at the stage of his career he is at.
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Key described Fox as “probably the best wicketkeeper in the world” but England management want someone who can “up the ante when needed” with the bat.
Key said no decision had yet been taken on the futures of white-ball coach Matthew Mote and captain Jos Buttler, but stopped short of giving them any long-term nod. “We will let the dust settle from the World Cup and move on from there. For now, the focus is on the upcoming summer tests and getting ready for the challenges ahead.
“All good things must come to an end,” Key said of Anderson’s final test. “This will be a special moment, but now it’s also a look into the future.”
