Stuart Broad and James Anderson walk onto the oval field as Broad receives a guard of honor for the Australian players during their final Test match last summer Photo: Reuters /Paul Childs
Last summer, during Stuart Broad's fabulous curtain call at the Oval, there was a palpable sense that James Anderson was playing the page boy at a party that should have been his. Yes, it was thrilling to see the pair walk out to the center through a guard of honor as Broad, with his usual Hollywood flourish, took a wicket in his final innings with the ball and hit a six in his final game with the bat.
“None of us,” Anderson said, “could have achieved what we have without each other.”
It was sincere, but it raised the question of why they didn’t bow together.
During the Ashes series, Anderson had ample clues that his Test career was in trouble. It's not just that he took just five wickets in four matches at 85.4. The fact is that England did not even invite him to intercept the new ball at Edgbaston, and two weeks later gave it to Headingley when the team were losing 2-0.
But still, stoically, he spoke as if such humiliations were merely bumps in the road, reflecting, “I am even more determined to continue.”
p >That defiance didn't quite match one former teammate's analysis. Steve Harmison noted that Anderson had lost his zip and that the chance to say goodbye at the top against Australia had been missed. It's unlikely you've ever heard such a verdict from the England dressing room, which toed the party line that the King of Swing had not taken a step back. It seemed that only Harmison could see evidence to the contrary.
“And so, unfortunately, it got to the point where Brendon McCullum made the 11,000-mile journey from New Zealand to tell Anderson he wouldn't be needed after this summer. This was a noble gesture on the part of the head coach, who understood that such amazing news could only be conveyed to a player of this level in person, and not over a long-distance phone call.
Despite this, it was difficult to shake the feeling that this should not be the case. Anderson could have retired comfortably and been halfway to a knighthood. But instead of feeling the touch of the sword on his shoulder, he only hears the terrible touch of McCallum's hand, sadly pushing him out the door.
He could not admit that the end was near
They say that the great always know when the well has run dry. Over the past year, however, Anderson has come across as someone desperate to deny his diminished powers. Of course, his poor performance in the Ashes can be attributed to the groin injury he suffered just a month ago. But in the midst of this year's competition in India, he was adamant that his fitness had returned, declaring: “I'm in the best shape I've ever been in.”
This bold statement owes much to his adrenaline rush upon reaching the monumental milestone of 700 Test wickets. He missed the wider context of the 4-1 series defeat and the fact that while he was a wizard in the second Test at Visakhapatnam, he struggled to create such magic again, clearly toiling in his longer spells in the heat.
He could not for a second publicly admit that the end was near. And so, contrary to the scenario he had in mind, McCallum had to do it for him.
No one can blame England for turning to the future. McCallum has every right to jettison even a titan like Anderson, given that he needs to start planning for the crucial task of trying to return the urn to Australia in 18 months. This does not mean that he violated any diplomatic protocols: he informed Anderson respectfully and thoughtfully.
This is not the same situation as Andy Murray, who on a lonely tennis hamster wheel can plot his exit on his own terms. McCullum has a squad to consider and has come to the undeniable conclusion that the bowler, who will be 43 by the next Ashes, is no longer a viable option.
For Anderson it was a stunning result. You only have to look at the England squad for his debut at Lord's against Zimbabwe in 2003 to marvel at his own resilience. All of them have long since left: Marcus Trescothick as England coach, Rob Key as managing director.
But Anderson pressed on, justifying his choices under brutal scrutiny as entire teams rose and fell around him.
It is inevitable that he is already in his fifth decade, and now it is his turn to bear the brunt. You just really want him to see it coming.
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