"England have got a decision to make" according to the former seamer, who feels the end of the 41-year-old's international career is looming following the drawn Ashes series, with the tour to India the next assignment in Test cricket
James Anderson's days as an England Test player are numbered according to Steve Harmison, who would "have loved to have seen" the legendary seamer call time on his career following the conclusion of the men's Ashes.
The Lancashire quick endured a lean series, taking just five wickets at 85.40.
Anderson, who turned 41 during the fifth Test victory at the Kia Oval which secured a 2-2 draw with Australia, is aiming to continue playing despite the retirement of Stuart Broad.
England's next red-ball assignment isn't until early 2024 when they face India in five Tests between January and March.
Harmison, who played 68 Tests for England, suffered an anti-climatic end to his own international career after seven years of service. After playing just two of the five 2009 Ashes Tests he was dropped for the South Africa tour and never returned, eventually retiring in 2013.
Two down, one to go? (Hamish Blair/Getty Images)
And the ex-Durham quick wants Anderson, the country's all-time leading wicket-taker with 690 scalps in 183 Tests, to leave the sport on his own terms.
"I'm not sure how long I see Jimmy holding out for," he told The i. "I would have loved to have seen him retire this week. Not because of ability and age, I just think going out at the top against Australia is always the best way to go.
"He's been unlucky this series as he got an injury just before the first Test and missed a bit of cricket. I thought he didn't have that zip that's made him so potent for a number of years. Whether that's just out of rhythm or the age factor, only Jimmy knows.
"He deserves to go out when he wants to. But England have got a decision to make. They can't work on fairytales, they have to work on practicality.
"Is Jimmy going to be one of their best three seamers in India over those five Test matches? He might play one or two, but can he get through to next summer? Will England even take him to India?"
Will Anderson's record in India - 32 wickets at 29.32 - be enough to secure a berth in the squad? (Yadav/Getty Images)
A signal over England's future intentions will come in October when the next batch of men's central contracts, covering the following 12 months (Sri Lanka and West Indies are the visitors next summer), are awarded.
"Will the ECB financially look after him, will they give him a central contract?" Harmison added.
"They've got 11 Test matches [in the next year]. How many is he going to play? That shouldn't come into it but it has to because of budgets and England has to contract the right people and have the foresight to pick the right teams.
"If Jimmy doesn't fit into that, who has that conversation with him? I think there's a lot of talking to do between Jimmy and the hierarchy at the ECB about the road ahead but fingers crossed he gets to next summer because I wouldn't like to see him go out with an injury or with him not being picked."
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