Key subsequently told the BBC that England’s leadership trio “think it is time to move on”.

Though the decision to retire has been imposed on Anderson, he admitted that speculation over his future in the latter part of his career has been “draining”.

“There’s been two or three moments on the field, if the opposition are 500-3, I’ll be thinking, ‘do I really want to still be doing this?'” he said. “They are fleeting thoughts – nothing that has stuck with me for more than an over.

“I don’t know how much of that was me, and how much it was the external noise that comes with ageing. For the last six years, or even longer, it’s been, ‘how long can you go on for?’

“That in itself, certainly for the last couple of years, has been quite draining.”

Anderson clarified that he and McCullum did not hold discussions over a round of golf, as was widely reported. Anderson, McCullum, Stokes and Key met in a hotel in Manchester.

The pace bowler is yet to publicly reveal if he will continue to play for Lancashire after his Test career ends.

He is due to warm up for his final Test, beginning at Lord’s on 10 July, by playing for the Red Rose in County Championship matches against Kent at Canterbury and Nottinghamshire at Southport at the end of June.