England bowler James Anderson admits he fears for the future of Test cricket

James Anderson has admitted that he fears for the future of Test cricket due to dwindling attendances worldwide.

England's leading Test wicket-taker will spend the early part of the summer with Lancashire, with the first Test of the season not until July.

However, while attendances for the home series against South Africa and the West Indies are likely to be strong, outside of England, Test match attendances are on the wane.

"There is a concern," Anderson said. "I think if you look at attendances around the world, in Test cricket they're on the decline and it's probably only in England that we sell out most days for Test matches.

"It's something that's got to be addressed. Obviously, it's great to see T20 the way it is, drawing crowds and getting young kids into the sport but there are still a lot of players out there that want to play Test cricket and see it as the pinnacle.

"In the future, it's something that has got to be looked at."

With the Champions Trophy guaranteeing an unusually late start to the Test summer, Anderson will spend the best part of three months on the county circuit with Lancashire.

The 34-year-old has struggled with a shoulder problem in the past year and is hoping to use the time back at Old Trafford to ensure he is in peak condition to return to Test action.

"It's nice to have a few months with Lancashire at the start of the summer," added Anderson.

"It'll be a case of just seeing how I go through the early stages of the summer - not getting too many overs into my body before that first Test comes around but, at the same time, I need to play cricket and get some overs into my shoulder to prove my fitness for those Test matches.

"I feel good at the minute, I feel really fit. I'm still hungry to play and I'm working hard. I'm not looking too far ahead, I just want to enjoy playing.

"The last year or so has been very frustrating for me, being injured more than I would have liked, so I'm really keen to stay fit and just see how I get on."

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