“Playing alongside Jimmy…”Joe Root gives a massive statement on the void left by Jimmy Anderson

Joe Root has admitted that he will greatly miss playing with James Anderson, now that the 41-year-old has retired from international cricket.

The first Test match of the English summer against West Indies at Lord’s was Anderson’s final international game, but he will continue to be involved with the Test team for the rest of the summer.

The ex-England captain is sad to see the 188-Test veteran retire, but believes that his presence in the dressing room for the remaining games against West Indies and the three-match Test series against Sri Lanka at home will be very beneficial for the young bowlers.

“For me, all I’ve known for England is playing alongside Jimmy, and that’s been for 12 years,” Root said in an interview with ESPNcricinfo.

“It’s strange to see Stuart (Broad) retire last year and now James (Anderson). I’ll really miss playing with him, but having him around this summer will be great for the new young bowlers and for us to continue benefiting from his experience and everything else he brings to the team. I’m glad he’s getting the farewell he deserves, but it’s also a bit sad to see him go.”

Root is aware of the challenge England faces with the Ashes in 2025-26. He believes that despite all the planning and preparation to achieve the best results, “it still needs to come together.”

“It’s a fresh start for us. We made the decisions we thought were right at the time. We’ll be in a new situation next time. The important thing is, you can plan and aim for the best outcome, but it still needs to come together.”

Root believes that Gus Atkinson could be crucial for England’s chance to win the Ashes in Australia because he can make the ball change direction quickly while bowling very fast.

“For teams playing in those conditions, they need someone like Gus who can bowl at speeds of 88 to 93 miles per hour and still make the ball move and create opportunities at high speed. It was impressive to watch him perform that way on a slow pitch here.”