Ashes 2023: There are no thoughts about retirement, the hunger is still there – James Anderson

England’s veteran fast bowler James Anderson has quashed retirement rumors, stating he has no thoughts of calling it a day. Anderson feels he still has the hunger and he is bowling well despite the fact he doesn’t have the returns in the ongoing Ashes.

The 40-year-old has scalped only four wickets in the three Test matches he has played in the ongoing Ashes against Australia. The veteran has bowled with a poor average of 76.75 and he hasn’t been able to deliver for Ben Stokes.

In fact, Anderson has failed to find consistent swing in the three matches he has played and it has led to his downfall. However, Anderson feels he still has some fuel left in his old tank and wants to keep going.

“There are no thoughts about retirement,” Anderson wrote in his column for Telegraph. “If I was bowling horrendously, with my pace down and hobbling around in the field I might be thinking differently. But the hunger is still there. I feel like I’m bowling well, that I can still offer something to the team. I felt like I bowled well at Old Trafford and if I get another chance this week, I will just keep trying the same stuff and hope my luck changes.”

Anderson feels he didn’t have the rub of the green on his side as he had gone past the edge on numerous occasions at Manchester but could only take a solitary wicket.

“It is just one of those things. There are always one or two players who have a lean series. It can be a batter who gets good balls and then a bit of bad luck. It felt like that was my week in Manchester. I felt like I beat the bat plenty of times, but just didn’t take the wickets that you want as a bowler to help the team win. There were a couple of times when I bowled a tight five-over spell then Woody [Mark Wood] came on and took a wicket straightaway. It feels like maybe I created the pressure, then Woody came on and let loose. It’s teamwork.”

Despite his low returns, Anderson was retained in England’s playing XI for the fifth and final Test match at the Kennington Oval, London. Anderson doesn’t have a great record while playing at the Oval as he has scalped 49 wickets in 15 Test matches at an average of 32.12 but he will be determined to turn the tables.

The fifth and final Test match will be played at Kennington Oval, London from July 27.