England’s highest wicket-taker in Tests, James Anderson has revealed that Joe Root’s tenure as Test captain tested their friendship and hopes things will now get better between them.
Root recently stepped down as England’s Test captain, and Anderson admitted that his best years had been under his good friend, but that it affected their friendship.
The legendary bowler further said that he and Root were very good friends, but that their friendship was tested when the former Test skipper went "deeper into his captaincy" tenure.
Anderson said on the BBC podcast: “For me, he has been a really good mate as well, and the deeper he has got into the captaincy the harder it's been to be as matey as we probably were. But hopefully, that'll now be easier to get back on those matey terms.”
On Root’s resignation as Test captain, Anderson revealed that Root was emotional about the decision when he called him. The veteran pacer said that he and Stuart Broad did a great job under him.
Anderson further said, “He was definitely emotional about it, I think the gist of the call was just to thank me for my efforts during his reign as captain. And you know I thanked him because I think it's not a coincidence that statistically my best years as a bowler have been under his captaincy.”
He signed off by saying, “And a lot's been said about me and Stuart Broad under his captaincy and things like that, but for me, I have performed my best under his captaincy.”
