England captain Ben Stokes is adamant his long-term goal of regaining the Ashes in Australia will have no ill-effects as he leads his side into a home Test series against the West Indies starting Wednesday.
This week’s series opener at Lord’s is set to bring down the curtain on England great James Anderson’s time in international cricket, with the 41-year-old paceman’s 188th and final Test marking the end of a record-breaking career spanning two decades.
No fast bowler has taken more than Anderson’s 700 Test wickets and only India batting hero Sachin Tendulkar has played more matches (200) at this level.
But with the 2025/26 Ashes series in Australia on the horizon, England believe now is the right time to jettison Anderson.
Not since England’s 2010/11 triumph, have either they or arch-rivals Australia won an Ashes series away from home, with the battle for the urn still the yardstick by which many England captains are judged.