No way Jimmy Anderson’s record of 700 Test wickets is ever going to be beaten, says ECB chair Richard Thomson | Cricket News
One of the few celebrations that came out of the Dharamsala Test last week for England, perhaps the greatest, was Jimmy Anderson crossing the 700 Test wickets milestone.
The 41-year-old did so in his 187th Test, becoming only the third bowler after Shane Warne and Muttiah Muralitharan, and the first-ever pacer to do so. And he may just be the last, believes England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) chair Richard Thomson.
In a recent video uploaded England Cricket on X, Thomson can be seen praising Anderson while delivering a speech during a meeting with the team after the Test series.
“It’s very rare to see a piece of hory play out that you know is never going to happen again. Then obviously, it’s James Michael Anderson over here. It’s a shame that your dad is not here because being with your dad when you did that was remarkable,” Thomson says.
“Most records in sport are there to be broken, this is one I dont think will ever be broken.” 👏
A special presentation Chair of the ECB Richard Thompson following Jimmy Anderson’s 700th Test wicket 🎨 pic.twitter.com/RC7hB5iZuD
— England Cricket (@englandcricket) March 12, 2024
“Most records in sport are there to be broken. This is one that I don’t think will ever be broken. All of you, playing at the highest level, there’s nothing more that we can do than wanting to play for the country. That in itself is the pinnacle. But to leave a legacy is even more important. And that is what Jimmy Anderson has done. A legacy that is extraordinary over 21 years. To realise that everyone just beneath Jimmy has retired, so there’s no way this record is ever going to be beaten,” he added.
Anderson, who made his debut in 2003, played four of the five Tests in the recently concluded series in India, snapping 10 wickets from the 110 overs he bowled.