Coaching an option for the future, not thinking of retirement yet: Chris Jordan

Chris Jordan remains committed to his playing career and has not begun contemplating retirement, despite approaching his 38th birthday in October. The England cricketer, who has earned 138 appearances across all formats for his country, continues to feel he has more to offer on the field. His recent involvement with Southern Brave in The Hundred has kept him engaged with the professional game at the highest domestic level.

Jordan believes he is bowling consistently quicker than he ever has done to complement his many variations. Speaking about his continued commitment to playing, he expressed confidence in his ability to maintain standards alongside younger teammates.

"As long as my pace is up and I’m still running long-on to long-on, as long as I’m still hitting sixes and keeping up with the youngsters, I don’t see why I can’t continue (playing)," Jordan was quoted as saying by the Independent.

Playing remains the priority for Jordan

The veteran bowler has naturally shifted towards mentoring younger players throughout his career, a role that has emerged organically rather than through formal appointment. Jordan explained how his experience in international cricket and various conditions has led him to help teammates without holding an official coaching position.

"In most teams that I play, indirectly I gravitate to the youngsters because I have so much experience in conditions and international cricket, I naturally find myself helping out other people and doing quote, unquote coaching, if you like, without an official role. It's something that's there and because it does come natural, I'm not really thinking about it," Jordan said.

While coaching represents a potential future direction, Jordan emphasised that he is not actively planning a transition away from playing just yet.

"It is an option at some point but I'm trying to stay in the present as much as possible and deal with it a day at a time. When the time comes, I'll know exactly which route I want to take," he added.

Mentoring and reflecting on an international career

Jordan has taken on advisory roles beyond his playing commitments, serving as a consultant during recent England Under-19s trips and contributing his knowledge to the development pathway. His captaincy of Southern Brave in The Hundred has provided him with opportunities to work closely with emerging talent, including young players like Thomas Rew, Caleb Falconer and Manny Lumsden over recent weeks.

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Jordan said that he has no regrets looking back at his international career and is grateful that he got the opportunity to represent the Three Lions at the biggest stage.

"I don’t think I have any regrets. Me and a good friend of mine, Moeen Ali, we speak about it all the time that even if we’d played one game, we would have been happy," the T20 specialist said.

“You get into the team, you become a mainstay and start to play a lot of games, but when you strip it back, the opportunity to step on the international stage and not just take part but really perform, we’re definitely grateful for that. After that, there’s certain things you can’t control so there’s no point having any regrets. I’m more in the state of mind of gratitude that I was able to represent the country for as long as I did," he concluded.