It’s a moment that perfectly sums up how revered Jimmy Anderson is among the English cricket public.
Less than an hour after Anderson brought down the curtain on an incredible run that saw him become the first seam bowler to pass 700 wickets in Test cricket following the first Test of the summer against the West Indies, he stepped out onto the balcony at Lord’s.
There, Anderson was greeted by thousands of fans scattered across the outfield, ready to pay their respects.
It was a scene fit for a royal coronation – and perhaps this was the coronation of England’s greatest ever bowler – and after some encouragement, Anderson promptly downed the pint of Guinness in his hand to great cheers, before returning to the dressing room with the same relaxed nature with which he had taken countless wickets over the previous 21 years.
“I wasn’t planning on having a pint on the balcony,” Anderson joked to Mail Sport. “But I just wanted to go out and see what the outside pitch looked like – it was amazing.”
Jimmy Anderson retired from Test cricket last month after the first Test against the West Indies.
Anderson, 42, is the first seam bowler in history to pass 700 wickets in Test cricket matches.
Anderson hilariously drank a pint of Guinness on the balcony at Lord’s after his final Test match.
Since retiring, Anderson (left) has taken on a mentoring role for England’s fast bowlers.
‘I didn’t really know what to expect that week, but seeing the size of the crowd there and the reaction I got as I walked around the long room, I was surprised and delighted with how that test went.
“It was truly an amazing few days and a special occasion, especially with my family and friends there.”
Anderson took on the role of coach and mentor to England’s bowlers for the final two Tests against West Indies, a role he will take up in the upcoming series against Sri Lanka.
In his role, Anderson oversees a very exciting group of English fast bowlers and, while Gus Atkinson stole the headlines with an outstanding debut series, he is just the latest to emerge from a crop of talent that includes Matt Potts, Dillon Pennington and Josh Tongue.
There is also hope that Jofra Archer and Olly Stone can overcome their recent injury problems and return to the Test arena.
For Anderson it has been something different, but he has enjoyed the challenge. “I have really enjoyed being around the group,” he says.
‘I found the change relatively easy, because it’s probably been my job for the last 10 years or so, to be a veteran player on the team and help the other guys by leading the attack on the field and also trying to help the new guys adjust.
“It’s always nice to win Test matches and I still get a lot of satisfaction from being a part of it.”
Anderson is speaking to Mail Sport as part of the ECB’s drive to promote both school and grassroots cricket, particularly after the previous Conservative government pledged £35m of investment in the field in April.
The England icon learned his trade at Burnley Cricket Club, which is ultimately responsible for making him one of the world’s best bowlers, and Anderson couldn’t be stronger in his support for the cause.
Anderson is overseeing a very exciting crop of fast bowlers, including Surrey’s Gus Atkinson.
The 42-year-old admitted his happiness and surprise at how well his final Test match went.
Anderson was watched by his family at Lord’s, who rang the bell before the start of play.
“Coming from where I come from, I was lucky to be able to start playing cricket,” he explains. “My school didn’t have the facilities or equipment to play, so I was lucky that my father played for the local club.
“Cricket has had a huge impact on my life and me as a person, so I’m passionate about getting more children the chance to play it. It’s a brilliant sport to be a part of.”
As always with English cricket, the talk is now turning to the Ashes despite it still being more than 15 months away, although Anderson is upbeat about the task at hand.
“I definitely think we have a good chance,” he added. “There’s a lot of depth on the bowling front and the important thing is to cover as many bases as possible.”
‘Shoaib Bashir has been brilliant on the spin front and Jack Leach, who has sadly missed out on this summer so far, has a wealth of experience as a second spinner.
‘And then players who go out to sea, they also have to strike a balance between pace and skill. You still need to have good skills to go to a place like Australia.
“Last time, we saw that the pitches were quite favourable to players who move easily. So you have to be consistent with your lines and lengths, as well as having the ability to throw quickly. It seems like there’s a very good balance and a bit of everything.”
Anderson was part of England’s memorable 3-1 win in Australia in 2010-11, which remains the country’s only Ashes triumph in Australia since 1986.
Back then, the 42-year-old dominated the series by topping the wicket-taking charts with 24 dismissals during a period that remains one of the best for England fans this century.
But what was the key 13 years ago and can Anderson see similarities with Ben Stokes’ team?
Anderson was part of the England squad when they won the Ashes in Australia in 2010-11.
The England icon felt Ben Stokes’ side were shaping up well ahead of that series next year.
“I think we were lucky that most of the team had played quite a bit of Test cricket together,” he explains.
‘Plus, we were all at our best at the right time and a lot of guys probably had the best series of their careers, like Alastair Cook, Kevin Pietersen, Andrew Strauss and Jonathan Trott.
‘As for bowling, we had a good group that really suited the conditions at the time, with a class bowler like Graham Swann.
‘Everything seemed to fall into place at the right time and I think that’s the most important thing.
“There’s a lot of Test cricket before that, with a big series against India next summer, which, if we can do well, will leave us in a good position for those Ashes.”
In moving into coaching, Anderson has joined forces with a number of his former England teammates to share their knowledge of the game and one in particular, Andrew Flintoff, has gained a lot of attention in recent times.
After recovering from a potentially fatal car crash while filming Top Gear in 2022, Flintoff made a stirring return to the sport he made his name in over the past year, working with a number of England teams, with the former all-rounder widely praised for the impact he has had.
The next step came this summer, with Flintoff taking charge of the Northern Superchargers in the Hundred, leading many to tip him to replace Matthew Mott as England’s white-ball manager.
“I think he would definitely be a good fit,” Anderson explains. “I don’t know if now is the right time for him, as coaching is something he’s fairly new to.”
“He’s only just taken up the role of head coach but I’m sure he’ll be on his and England’s radar in the future.”
Anderson said Andrew Flintoff would be a good option for England’s white-ball squad but hinted now may be the right time given the former all-rounder has only recently started training.
The 42-year-old also insisted he is keeping his options open for the future after this summer.
Anderson has not closed the door on playing for either Lancashire or franchise cricket.
For now, Anderson is focused on the upcoming Sri Lanka series, but the 42-year-old has also done plenty of media work in recent years, while he proved he still has what it takes to keep playing for Lancashire after taking match figures of 8-64 in his only game for the Red Rose this season – and there could even be a shock return to white-ball franchise cricket.
But what is the plan for Anderson? “At the moment, I’m keeping my options pretty open,” he adds.
‘I’ll spend the summer with England and then move on. I’ve got time to do what I want to do, whether that’s playing for Lancashire or elsewhere (including franchise cricket), or media work and things like that.
‘Yes, I still don’t know what I want to do. I was very happy to see Andy Murray when he retired at the Olympics saying he had no idea what he was going to do next.
‘It’s nice to hear that someone else is unsure, because it can be difficult, and it’s kind of tricky to transition to something else when you spend most of your life doing one thing.
“I haven’t fully come to terms with retirement yet, so I’m going to take my time and not rush into anything.”
Jimmy Anderson spoke as part of the ECB’s latest campaign to help more people find their way to playing cricket, whether at home, at school or in the community. More information about the campaign and local opportunities to play cricket can be found at www.ecb.co.uk/play.
