England fast-bowling great James Anderson made a revelation, stating that he had contemplated quitting the game back in the summer of 2019 until his wife Daniella encouraged him to push on.
Anderson, who had aggravated a calf injury in the first Test to be ruled out of the rest of the home Ashes two years back, was thinking of not undergoing any further rehab and calling it a day at the age of 37.
However, the pacer soon abandoned those thoughts after his wife made him see the different side of things and has been bowling as well as ever in the last two years.
“A big reason I am still playing cricket is my wife. She’s been really supportive,”
“When I pulled my calf in the first Ashes Test, it was the second or third time I had pulled my calf and I was really considering whether I wanted to go through the rehab again. She basically took us away on holiday and told me to stop being silly.
She told me to carry on,”
Anderson was quoted as saying by ESPNcricinfo on the eve of the first Test against India, starting Wednesday.
Anderson stressed that a “good support network”, apart from his own unwavering passion and desire, has been one key reason behind his longevity in the game. The pacer is now the highest-capped England Test cricketer with 162 matches. He is England’s highest wicket-taker as well in the game’s traditional format, with 617 scalps at 26.67 per piece.
The 39-year-old believes he still has a lot of cricket left in him and would like to give his best in the coming series against India as well as the Ashes tour Down Under.
Anderson also said he is “excited” to resume his rivalry with modern-day batting great and India captain Virat Kohli for perhaps the one last time in Test cricket.
