James Anderson's legendary career could be over after Lancashire opted against offering England's all-time leading wicket-taker a new contract. Anderson, 44, chose to continue playing with Lancashire after England forced him into international retirement in 2024. He captained Lancashire in the County Championship last season, but the Red Rose endured a poor campaign, finishing next to bottom of Division Two. As first reported by the Times, Anderson will not be given the opportunity to play at Old Trafford in 2027, the summer he turns 45.
It is not known whether Anderson will retire or look to extend his 26-year professional career with another county. He first played top-level cricket as a 17-year-old for Lancashire Cricket Board in 2000, then made his Lancashire debut the following year. His exit comes at a time of upheaval at Old Trafford, where the county is undergoing a review of its cricket operations, led by interim chair Dame Sarah Storey and new chief executive Richard Kenyon. Paul Farbrace was appointed as director of cricket earlier this month.
Despite his age, Anderson remained in supreme form for a struggling team. He took 50 wickets in the County Championship in 2026, a tally bettered by only six other bowlers in Division Two, and was named Lancashire's Championship player of the year. Overall, 443 of his 1,193 first-class wickets came for Lancashire.
In a 23-year international career, Anderson took 991 wickets across formats for England, behind only Muttiah Muralitharan and Shane Warne. In 2024 he became the third bowler in Test history to reach 700 wickets, and he remains third on the all-time list with 704, a record for a pace bowler that is unlikely to be broken. Anderson was knighted for services to cricket in April 2025. At the end of this summer, there was no suggestion he would end his career, and those close to him were unaware of the situation when reports of his exit emerged. Lancashire have not commented.
Source: BBC Sport · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing