England bowler Jimmy Anderson prioritises Test cricket over IPL riches

Jimmy Anderson is prepared to commit the last years of his career to playing Test cricket for England. The record-breaking swing bowler has revealed he has no immediate interest in the riches of the IPL and is instead solely focused on helping England succeed in the longest form of the game.

The 33-year-old is currently in South Africa as England fine-tune their preparations for the third Test match in the four-game series, which the away side lead 1-0. The Lancashire paceman revealed he is committed to playing for his country for the "foreseeable future".

"My heart is with playing Test cricket for England. So that is what I'll concentrate on doing for the foreseeable future," he said, according to ESPNCricInfo.

"At the moment, where I am at this stage of my career, I want to make sure I'm in good nick to play Test match cricket for England. A couple of months off won't be a bad thing. I'll make sure I come back for Lancashire at the start of the season and get ready for the Test matches at the start of the summer. That's where my head is at."

The veteran admitted he harbours fears for the future of the Test game, with the popularity of T20 cricket appearing to pose a serious threat. But Anderson, who will not be entering into the IPL auction, insisted he is looking forward to the prospect of playing 17 Test matches in 2016.

"There is a slight worry about domestic T20 competitions doing so well," he said. "But speak to players and there is a still a passion to play Test cricket. It's a real test of someone's character and skill. It still excites me. I love it. I prioritise it in my head and my heart.

"I'm not the only person who feels like that in the world. Hopefully it's not just players but fans too, but we need people to keep supporting the [Test] game so that it does flourish. Seventeen Tests in a year is a huge challenge but I get excited about it and I look forward to it."