James Anderson retired from Test cricket after 188 matches over 21 years on Friday, 12 July, with England beating West Indies comprehensively in the Lord’s Test.

After the match, he shared his feelings via Sky Sports, “Obviously this morning was quite emotional with the two teams lined up and the reaction from the crowd was pretty special. I’m just really proud of playing for 20-odd years. Happy that I’ve been lucky enough to stay injury-free pretty much throughout my career. And yeah, play for England. It’s the best job in the world, so I’ve been privileged to be able to do it for a long time. I’m still gutted to have dropped that catch, to be honest. But yeah, it’s been an amazing week. I’ve been quite overwhelmed with the reaction of the crowd and everyone around the ground and the lads as well, just proud of what I’ve achieved.”

He also added, “Yeah, has been different emotions, been so up and down. Saw my girls ring a bell on day one. Walking out today with both teams lined up again was pretty emotional. I forgot what I was trying to do with the ball. And it is a really special sport. I think no other sport creates this sort of atmosphere, these sorts of friendships, and part of me is a little bit jealous that these lads get to experience that for the next few years. As I said, we’ve got a young team, with lots of incredible talent, and the advice I’d pass on to them is just enjoy every moment because it’s a great ride.”