Anderson as hungry as ever to return to Test cricket

Cape Town - England seamer James Anderson says that he is as hungry as ever to return to the international fold as he continues his recovery from a calf injury.

The 37-year-old is England's all-time leading wicket-taker in Test cricket with 575 scalps but only bowled four overs in the Ashes series in the home summer before being forced off the field in the first Test

Anderson was not considered for the ongoing Test series in New Zealand and will leave for a training camp in South Africa this week as England prepare for a four-match Test series against the Proteas.

The seamer said that during his time on the sidelines, and after a conversation with his wife, he is still wants to add to his 149 Test appearances.

Anderson told the Daily Mail: "The biggest thing to come out of that for me was actually the hunger.

"I found I had to try to get fit again because it would have been quite easy for me, especially after the third time I injured my calf trying to get ready for the Old Trafford Test, to say, 'Sod it, I can't do this anymore'.

"I guess when you get to a certain age you start thinking about the next chapter. And people have always said to me that you just know when it's time to finish.

"But I went away that week, on holiday with the family to Corfu, just to get away from it because I was feeling quite low having worked hard to get back fit.

"And at the end of it, in conversation with my wife Daniella, she was like, 'Why would you stop?'

"It's not as if I'm unfit. Getting injured is just a thing that happens and as I get older, yes, there might be the odd extra muscle injury that I've got to deal with.

"But my injury record's been pretty good and I'm still in the top 10 bowlers in the world, even though I've not played for longer than six months."

The first of four Test matches between England and the Proteas will start in Centurion on Boxing Day.

- TeamTalk Media