Image Source: AFP
[Saba Sports News] Former England pacer James Anderson shared his experience transitioning from player to bowling mentor during the ongoing series against the West Indies at home, expressing his enjoyment and relaxation in the new role. After retiring from international cricket following the first Test at Lord’s, Anderson joined the England team as the bowling mentor for the remaining two matches. His new role aims to prepare new talents for the 2025-26 Ashes series in Australia.
Speaking to Sky Sports during the innings break, Anderson reflected on the past few days: “It has been an interesting few days. I have had to deal with the emotions of Lord’s and then come straight here and into a new job. I have loved it. I have known most of the bowlers for many years. It’s nice to just relax and not try to bowl the tail out on a flat one.”
Anderson bid farewell to Test cricket as the third-highest wicket-taker in the format, finishing with 704 career scalps, behind Muttiah Muralidaran and Shane Warne. England defeated the West Indies by an innings and 114 runs in the first Test, and Anderson’s contribution to cricket was widely acknowledged by many legends of the sport on social media.
In the second Test, the West Indies won the toss and opted to bowl first. England posted 416 in 88.3 overs, led by Ollie Pope’s sixth Test century and strong half-centuries from Ben Duckett and skipper Ben Stokes. Alzarri Joseph was the standout bowler for the West Indies, with Jayden Seales, Kavem Hodge, Kevin Sinclair, and Shamar Joseph also contributing.
In their first innings, the West Indies struggled at 84/3 but recovered with a brilliant 175-run partnership between Alick Athanaze and Kavem Hodge. Wicketkeeper-batter Joshua da Silva’s 71-run partnership with Shamar Joseph helped the West Indies take a 41-run lead, ending at 457 in 111.5 overs. Chris Woakes was the top wicket-taker for England, with young pacer Gus Atkinson and spinner Shoaib Bashir also contributing. England now aims to overcome the slender deficit in their second innings and set a massive target to seal a 2-0 series win.