James Anderson pays tribute to ‘special’ Stuart Broad - ‘We have loved playing together’

James Anderson has paid tribute to Stuart Broad, admitting he "will definitely miss" playing with the fast bowler who shocked the cricketing world when he announced he would be retiring at the close of the fifth and final Ashes Test against Australia.

Anderson, who is four years Broad’s elder, took to the field on the fourth morning of the fifth test to an Australian guard of honour, creating an iconic image worthy of the moment as the glittering career of one of England’s finest ever bowlers drew to a close under sunshine at the Oval.

“We both said when we saw that image, if we put one photo in our house of our careers, it would be that one,” Anderson said.

“We have loved playing together. Neither of us could have achieved what we have without the other. It's incredibly special and I will definitely miss him.”

Fittingly, Broad also hit the final ball of his Test career for six, with Anderson, who has achieved just about all there is to achieve in the game, acknowledging how “lucky” he felt to be there to witness it at the other end of the wicket.

He added: “Sunday morning was really special - getting to walk out with him on the field, watch him hit his last ball in Test cricket for six.

"The crowd were amazing, the ovation he got was incredible and I felt really lucky to be out there and experience it.”

Anderson is England’s all-time leading wicket taker with a whopping 690 to his name but he hasn’t had the impact he would have liked to or that is expected of him this series.

At 41 and with growing concern among fans that he is no longer the bowler he was, there had been calls for him to retire.

He said he still felt like he had “a lot more to give” at the beginning of the fifth Test, insisting his bowling has been better than his Ashes numbers have suggested, and doubled down on those comments in the wake of Broad’s announcement.

“I am even more firm I want to keep going,” Anderson said. “I have had a really disappointing series by my standards. I have not got the wickets I would have expected from myself.

“I don't think I have bowled particularly badly, I have just not... felt like I made an impact for the team that I would have liked and what I expect from myself.

“My body is fine, my skills are fine. I think I'm bowling well enough. With the break we have got after this series, I want to go away and in my head I think I want to keep working at stuff and make sure I got back to where I know I can be.

“Having that hunger and desire to go and do that makes it feel I want to keep going.”

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