James Anderson says he has been told by England captain Joe Root that he wants him to tour Australia for the next Ashes series in 2021-22.

The 38-year-old became the first fast bowler to take 600 Test wickets on Tuesday as England drew the final Test of the summer against Pakistan.

He took 11 wickets as England won the three-match series 1-0.

“I feel I still have stuff to offer this team and as long as I feel like that I’ll keep going,” he said.

Anderson will be 39 when England next tour Australia.

He has taken 60 wickets in 18 Tests in Australia and was a vital part of the team that won the Ashes in 2010-11.

“I’ve not thought Australia in that much detail,” said Anderson. “I’ve chatted to Rooty about it a little bit and he has said he would like me to be in Australia. I don’t see any reason why I can’t be.

“I didn’t bowl as well as I would have liked for the whole summer, but this Test I felt like I was really on it. I feel like I’ve still got stuff to offer this team and as long as I feel like that, I’ll keep going.

“I don’t think I’ve won my last Test as an England cricketer yet.”

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‘I feel in great rhythm’

Anderson finishes the summer with 16 wickets from five matches at 25.50.

He claimed his 600th wicket on the final day when he had Pakistan captain Azhar Ali caught by his England counterpart Root at slip.

It made him the fourth highest wicket-taker in Test cricket, after spinners Muttiah Muralitharan, Shane Warne and Anil Kumble.

England do not know when their next Test will be due to the uncertainty caused by the coronavirus pandemic, although they could tour Sri Lanka and India early in 2021.

“Annoyingly this is the last Test for what could be for a good few months now and I feel in great rhythm,” Anderson said.

“I really focused on doing some technique work before the game started, and I felt in a really good place.

“I feel in great rhythm but it’s nice to get back to the form I know I can show and hopefully that can continue for however long that might be.”

England’s six Tests this summer have been played behind closed doors, with the players staying in a bio-secure bubble at the ground.

“Personally I’ve struggled a little bit this summer just with the fact we couldn’t get away from cricket,” Anderson told Test Match Special.

“I found it really hard to switch off and it felt like there was a lot of noise around. You wake up, you open your curtains and the cricket ground is there.

“I sort of got distracted about what I do best and that’s bowling well for England in Test cricket. I think I really got back to that this week.”

source:BBC sports/cricket