James Anderson on playing beyond his record 162nd England cap: "As long as I've got that enjoyment and that hunger to keep improving, I'll keep going. And as long as my body holds up which, so far, touch wood, it has"
Thursday 10 June 2021 12:51, UK
James Anderson is celebrating becoming England's most-capped Test cricketer this week as he plays in the second Test against New Zealand at Edgbaston.
Talking to his former captain, Nasser Hussain - who gave him his first Test cap back in 2003 - the 38-year-old Anderson said he still loves the game and has the hunger to keep going even longer.
Click on the video above to watch the chat in full and read on below...
"It has been an incredible journey I've been on over the last 18 years.
"I can remember my debut as clear as anything - and then there has been some amazing memories all the way through that period. I can't believe I've got to where I have today."
"I was very insecure as a kid, growing up. I had a lot of doubts.
"It's not until you perform against the best teams, and the best players in the world, that you feel like you actually belong there.
"It took some consistent performances over the years to build my confidence and make me believe that I actually belong here."
"He rang me last night to congratulate me. It's incredible to go past someone like him, who I look up to so much and have so much respect for.
"We've been close mates for many years and it's just a shame he's not here to share the experience with."
"I think a lot of it is luck. I've been born with a body that can cope with the pressures of bowling.
"I work hard at my fitness and it's about trying to stay hungry. I still feel like I've got a lot to give the game. I feel like I can still take wickets.
"So it's about turning up every day and having that hunger to improve and get better. Hopefully that will help me carry on for a little bit longer.
"Certainly the older I've got, the more I've got to focus on the fitness side of things. I'm very conscious of my diet now as well, and I probably drink a lot less than I used to - the game, in general, has changed in that way. We're very much more focused towards nutrition and fitness now than we ever have been. It's great to be a part of that."
"It's something I've worked tirelessly on. The outswinger I learnt when I was about 18 from Mike Watkinson at Lancashire, while the inswinger took probably the best part of five years to get to where I felt confident to bowl it in a Test match. It took so much practice to get that right.
"Certainly in the early part of my career, I had some quite intimidating captains! And I didn't want to let them down by bowling a bad inswinger down the legside, so I kept it hidden for a long time.
"Fortunately now, having put that work in, I really enjoy playing around with my skills when I'm out in the middle."
"I honestly don't know. I love this game, love playing, love bowling, taking wickets. And I enjoy the other stuff as well, not just the pretty stuff out in the middle, I enjoy the hard work behind the scenes.
"As long as I've got that enjoyment and that hunger to keep improving, I'll keep going. And as long as my body holds up which, so far, touch wood, it has.
"I love it so much, I just want to keep going."
Watch continued coverage of the second Test between England and New Zealand at Edgbaston, live on Sky Sports Cricket.
