James Anderson will retire from Test cricket at the end of the summer, bringing a 22-year career to a close.
Anderson, who will turn 42 in July, recently became the first fast bowler and third in history to take 700 wickets in the last Test match, which England lost in a 4-1 series in India.
The seamer has played more Tests for England than any other player, scoring 187, and only this summer will see him overtake Shane Warne's record of 709 Test wickets.
England head coach Brendon McCullum flew in from New Zealand and told Anderson during a round of golf that his international career would end this year as England looked to the future, the Guardian reported. .
As always in English cricket, the focus has already shifted to the next Ashes series in Australia, which will be a focus for McCullum as he looks to build a new seam attack for that series. , at which point Anderson would have been 43 years old.
England will play six Test matches this summer against the West Indies and Sri Lanka, including one at Anderson's home base of Old Trafford in late August, which will be the last and final Test. There is a possibility that it will happen.
Anderson's long-time partner Stuart Broad was dismissed in fairytale fashion, taking the final wicket as England fought back from 2-0 behind to draw the Ashes. His shocking career came to a fitting end in front of a sold-out Oval, but Anderson, who is four years older than Broad, showed no signs of stopping.
For the past 10 years, it has been hard to imagine an England team without Anderson leading the line. McCullum's focus may have changed, but there is no obvious bowler waiting in the side to take up his mantle.
England's head coach favors a fast pace, but Josh Tan, Gus Atkinson and Brydon Kearse are new to the international Test scene and are yet to prove their worth at the highest level.