Babar Azam hails “GOAT” James Anderson following pacer’s last Test
Pakistan white-ball skipper Babar Azam paid a rich tribute to England pacer James Anderson after he played the final Test of his career.
Anderson called time on his international cricket after the first Test against West Indies at Lord’s which they won by an inning and 114 runs.
Tributes poured in for the legendANN(Asian News Network) pace bowler as he bid farewell to cricket after playing for a little more than two decades.
Pakistan white-ball skipper Babar Azam was among the players to have extend their heartfelt tribute to James Anderson.
Taking to Instagram, the right-handed batter posted an image of the pacer as he left the ground for the last time in England jersey.
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Babar Azam caption the post, “It was a privilege to face your swing, Jimmy!”
“The beautiful game will now miss one of its greatest. Your incredible service to the sport has been nothing short of remarkable. Huge respect for you, GOAT,” he wrote.
It is pertinent to mention that Anderson finished with 991 international wickets across all formats.
Read more: James Anderson announces retirement from Test cricket
However, it was in Test cricket where he dominated as he picked up 704 wickets in 188 Tests, to finish third on the all-time wicket-taker’s list.
Speaking after his farewell Test, Anderson admitted he was “trying to hold back tears.”
“Obviously this morning was quite emotional with the two teams lined up and the reaction from the crowd was pretty special. I’m just really proud of playing for 20-odd years. [It] is an incredible effort, especially for a fast bowler,” he said.
