James Anderson revealed that he was considering quitting the game in 2019, but his wife encouraged him to play on.
James Anderson wife convinced him
Anderson was injured early in the first Ashes Test in 2019, after which he contemplated not going through rehab once again. However, his wife Daniella asked him to ‘stop being silly’.
“A big reason I am still playing cricket is my wife,” Anderson was quoted as saying by ESPNcricinfo ahead of the first Test against India. “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.”
“Of course there have been difficult moments. I think everyone goes through it playing professional sport, whether you are out of form, have a loss of confidence or if it’s injuries. There are all sorts of things you have to deal with. For me it’s about having a good support network: friends and family that you can rely on and lean on.
“My wife has been really supportive. She wants me to keep playing; she encourages me to keep playing. She’s quite happy for me not to be around the house I think.”
Anderson is 39, but stressed he is not set to retire anytime soon. England are to play India and Australia this year, but Anderson said he has more in his tank.
“Absolutely not. I feel like I’m bowling as well as ever. I feel great physically. I’m just looking forward to this series against India.
“We’ll look at everything else once we’re past this. That’s something I’ve done really well throughout my career. But right now I’m bowling as well as I ever have and I’m really looking forward to this series.”
Anderson also said he was keen to come up against Virat Kohli.
“I’m definitely excited to play against him again. You always want to challenge yourself against the best in the world and he’s certainly that. We know how big a player he is for them both as a batsman and as captain, he has a huge influence on that team. So we know he’s a big wicket and to be honest I don’t care if I get him out. As long as somebody gets him out that’s the main thing. He’s an important wicket.”
“But I think challenging yourself against the best in the world is really exciting and their top six is riddled with talent. It’s going to be a big challenge for us seam bowlers.”
Also read: Anderson Praises Pant Ahead of India vs England First Test
