James Anderson acknowledged repeated questioning over his Test future became "draining", as the England great prepares for his final international red-ball outing in July. (More Cricket News)
England's all-time leading wicket-ta🌜ker Anderson announced earlier this month that he will end his storied red-ball career after the first Test agai꧟nst West Indies on July 10.
The 41-year-old will require nine wickets in his final Test to surpass Shane Warne's 708 wickets and mov♏e second on t💧he all-time dismissals list.
Anderson will be greeted with a rapturous farewell at Lord's, though tಌhe Lancashire veteran says speculation over his retirement while still playing was somewhat straining.
He said on the BBC's Tailenders podca💯st: "There's probably been two or three moments on the field, if the opposition are 500-3, I'll be thinking, 'do I really want to still be doing this?'
"They are 🍬fleeting thoughts – nothing that has stuck with me or more than a🅰n over.
"I don't know how much of that was me and how much it was the external noise that comes with ageiౠng. For the last six years, or even longer, it's been, 'how long can you go on for?'
"That in itself, certainly for the last couple of years, has been qui⛦te drainꦏing."
Ben Stokes and Brendon McCullum will be tasked with rebuilding an England bowling attack capable of overturning Australia away in the next Ashes series.
That plan for the future seemed to force Andersonℱ's🧔 hand into announcing his retirement decision, with speculation building the day before his eventual confirmation followed.
Though content with his decision, Anderson admitted there is still a small part of him wishing to contin▨ue.
ꦫ"Some days I wake up and wish I was not retiring 𒅌but then 90 per cent of the time, I'm happy with it," he added.
"Not many people in sport get the chance to retire from sport a༺t over 40. I'm happy I've made it this far."
