The England men’s team’s managing director, Robert Key, has revealed that James Anderson will return as the team’s fast-bowling mentor following his retirement from international cricket. Key emphasized that they don’t want to lose the vast experience Anderson brings.
The legendary Lancashire bowler announced earlier this year that the upcoming Lord’s Test against the West Indies, starting on Wednesday, July 10, will be his final match. Anderson’s last game marks the beginning of England’s cricketing summer.
Key recently discussed how the 41-year-old’s involvement will continue to benefit English cricket post-retirement. He shared with the BBC:
“He’s got so much to offer English cricket. We don’t want to see that go. When we asked him, he was keen.” Key continued, “He is going to have a lot of options. English cricket would be very lucky if he chooses to stay in the game. What he does with Lancashire will probably work out after the Lord’s Test. We’ve got some conversations to have to find out what he thinks is the best thing to do. Everything so far has been him gearing up for this Test match.”
Key also spoke about the inclusion of uncapped batter Jamie Smith in the Test squad, noting:
“Sometimes you’re selecting people for what they’re going to be, and where you think they can progress to. It’s very much the start for Jamie Smith. We feel he’s going to be a fantastic international cricketer.”
Smith, who represents Surrey, is also expected to keep wickets, with Ben Foakes and Jonny Bairstow being left out of the squad. Other notable omissions from the 15-man squad include Mark Wood, Tom Hartley, and Jack Leach.
“It’s an Arduous Task Being a Keeper” – Robert Key on Jonny Bairstow
Key also explained the decision not to select Bairstow, highlighting the wicketkeeper-batter’s recent struggles with form across formats:
“Generally his form, in all formats, has just been going slightly in the wrong direction. It’s an arduous task being a keeper and you want someone who can back up series after series.” He added, “We weren’t convinced that Jonny would be able to do that, especially at the stage of his career that he’s at.”
Bairstow’s performance had been disappointing in both the T20 and ODI World Cups, with England failing to retain their titles in both formats.
Anderson’s transition to a mentoring role and Smith’s promising future add intriguing layers to England’s cricketing narrative as they head into this new chapter.
