James Anderson, the former England legendary fast bowler, recently discussed his decision to retire from international cricket, which came after a conversation with coach Brendon McCullum and captain Ben Stokes. Anderson shared that he was taken aback when the management informed him about their decision to move on from him in the Test format. Also Read: James Anderson Reveals Why He Registered For IPL 2025 Mega Auction In an interview with The Guardian, Anderson expressed that while he was surprised by the news, he didn’t feel angry. He acknowledged that the thought of stepping away from the game entirely would have been hard for him to accept. In an interview with The Guardian, Anderson said: “As I walk towards them, it hits me cold. This isn’t a team appraisal, is it? I feel like Joe Pesci in Goodfellas, ushered into a room under the impression that I’m going to get made, only to be shot. I don’t think I was angry. I was just shocked. But, to be honest, I would have carried on for as long as my body let me. Maybe I needed that nudge to say now’s a good time to finish.” He further said: “If it had been completely cut out of my life I don’t think I’d have coped very well. The fact that they wanted me to stay in the group helped me. I’m still having the dressing-room environment, still seeing my mates every day, still having an impact on Test matches, but obviously in a very different way.” At 42 years old, Anderson retired from Test cricket after playing in the first match against the West Indies on July 12. Over his career, he claimed 704 wickets in 188 Test matches, maintaining an economy rate of 2.79.