sport news I could play in the Ashes when I'm 42!: Jimmy Anderson on the Aussies going toe ... trends now

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Jimmy Anderson admits he came close to quitting when he was left out of England’s tour of the Caribbean last year, but now believes he could play on until the next Ashes in Australia in 2025.

Such has been England’s transformation under Ben Stokes and Brendon McCullum that the leading fast-bowling wicket-taker in Test history is looking, at 40, beyond this summer’s Ashes and, potentially, two years down the line to the next one.

It was the unlikely figure of the father of BBC Radio One DJ Greg James, Anderson’s co-presenter on the Tailenders podcast, who played a part in convincing him to play on after England’s decision to leave both Anderson and Stuart Broad out of the defeat by West Indies. That series forced the resignation of captain Joe Root and the beginnings of Bazball.

‘There was definitely a moment when I thought that could be it,’ said Anderson at new Broadcasting House, at the relaunch of the podcast that has shown his different, lighter side.

‘There was anger and disappointment. That not knowing.

‘Is that it? Do they want to move on and get younger blood in? But I spoke to Greg quite a bit and I was just trying to make sense of it and not make any rash decisions.’

Then came an intervention from James’s father, Alan.