Tag: James Anderson

England great James Anderson is set to take on a new leadership role next summer after being appointed a full-time captain by Lancashire for the 2026 County Championship.

The 43-year-old pacer, who turns 44 during the season, takes over the four-day captaincy following Keaton Jennings’ resignation last year.

Anderson had already stepped in as interim skipper on two occasions during Lancashire’s 2025 campaign and will now lead the side permanently in red-ball cricket.

Despite calling time on his illustrious Test career in July 2024, finishing as England’s all-time leading wicket-taker with 704 Test scalps, Anderson has shown no intention of slowing down at the county level.

The fast bowler, who began his Lancashire journey as a teenager in 2002, remains an integral part of the squad and claimed 17 first-class wickets at an average of 25.94 in six Championship appearances last season.

Jennings will continue to lead Lancashire in the Vitality Blast, a format in which Anderson enjoyed an outstanding 2025 campaign, taking 20 wickets at 16.10 as the club reached Finals Day.

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Josh Bohannon will remain vice-captain, a role he has held since 2024.

“Captaining Lancashire for the first time last season was a huge privilege, and I’m honoured to take on the role full-time heading into the new season,” James Anderson said.

“We’ve got a fantastic group of players, with a great blend of youth and experience. Promotion back to Division One is our number one priority.”

Lancashire’s appointment comes after a turbulent Championship season in 2025, which resulted in major changes behind the scenes.

Head coach Dale Benkenstein departed following the club’s failure to mount a serious promotion push, with former Lancashire all-rounder Steven Croft stepping in as head coach.

Lancashire will begin their County Championship campaign away to Northamptonshire on April 3, before returning to Emirates Old Trafford to face Derbyshire the following week.

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James Anderson and Rocky Flintoff will both take part in The Hundred this season after being selected in the wildcard Draft.

Anderson, 42, an England great and one of the finest bowlers to ever play the game, was selected by Manchester Originals.

Flintoff, 17, will join up with his father, Andrew, Head Coach at Northern Superchargers.

The pair were two of 32 names drafted in the wildcard Draft, the final updates to the 16 squads ahead of the fifth year of The Hundred.

Essex’s Esmae Macgregor will join Anderson at Originals, off the back of a domestic campaign which sees her top the wicket-taking charts in the Vitality Blast women’s competition.

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The wildcard Draft gives an opportunity to players previously unselected in The Hundred to earn selection through outstanding performances in the Vitality Blast men’s and women’s competitions across the first three months of the domestic season.

Hilton Cartwright was the only overseas player selected, filling a spot at Southern Brave vacated by Faf du Plessis, who had to withdraw through injury. Jason Roy will replace du Plessis at Brave.

“I’m really looking forward to The Hundred, and I’m really happy to be part of the Manchester Originals squad,” said James Anderson.

“I’ve loved my time with Lancashire this season, so I’m excited to have the opportunity to add value in The Hundred.”

“It’s a competition I’ve really enjoyed watching. When you’re at the games, you can really see that it does attract a slightly different crowd, a lot of younger people and families, and you can’t underestimate how important that is for our game. I can’t wait to get out there.”

• Birmingham Phoenix: Mary Taylor, Phoebe Brett, Liam Patterson-White, Louis Kimber
• London Spirit: Abi Norgrove, Kate Coppack, Sean Dickson, Ryan Higgins
• Manchester Originals: Esmae Macgregor, Darcey Carter, James Anderson, Marchant de Lange
• Northern Superchargers: Katherine Fraser, Sophia Turner, James Fuller, Rocky Flintoff
• Oval Invincibles: Daisy Gibb, Rebecca Odgers, George Scrimshaw, Zafar Gohar
• Southern Brave: Phoebe Turner, Amara Carr, Toby Albert, Hilton Cartwright
• Trent Rockets: Grace Thompson, Sophie Morris, Callum Parkinson, Ben Sanderson
• Welsh Fire: Charley Phillips, Alex Griffiths, Ajeet Singh Dale, Ben Kellaway

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Indian legend Sunil Gavaskar has strongly criticised the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) for placing James Anderson’s name before Sachin Tendulkar’s in the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy, which has replaced the historic Pataudi Trophy.

The ECB recently announced the rebranding ahead of the ongoing five-match Test series in England.

While a Pataudi Medal will still be awarded to the winning captain, the actual series trophy has been renamed to honour Sachin Tendulkar and James Anderson.

Gavaskar, in his Mid-Day column, criticised the decision to award the Pataudi medal to the winning captain, questioning what would occur if the series ended in a draw.

“Why the captain? And what if the series is drawn?” he questioned.

“It would have been better to have the Pataudi Medal for the Player of the Match in every Test, and the Pataudi Trophy for the Player of the Series.

“This way, the Pataudis will be remembered after every Test match played as well as after the series is finished in England.”

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Sunil Gavaskar did not stop there as he questioned the order of names in the new title, expressing surprise that Anderson’s name came before Tendulkar’s.

“The ECB is fully entitled to call the series by any name they choose, but for most, if not all, Indian cricket lovers, it is jarring to know that Anderson’s name comes first,” Gavaskar wrote.

“Not only is Sachin Tendulkar, along with Kapil Dev, the greatest Indian cricketer, but also senior to Anderson by more than a dozen years.

“I hope the Indian media and fans start calling it the Tendulkar-Anderson Trophy, that’s how it should be.”

The former India captain also drew attention to the staggering difference in the cricketing legacies of both men.

“Tendulkar is numero uno as far as runs and centuries are concerned in Test cricket. Even at the one-day level, he has more runs than anybody else,” Gavaskar noted.

“Anderson is third in the list of wicket-takers in Test cricket, and his record is nowhere as good as Tendulkar’s in one-day cricket.

“Anderson was a terrific bowler, but mainly in English conditions. His record away is nowhere near as good as Tendulkar’s.”

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The new Anderson-Tendulkar trophy honouring the two greats of the game has been unveiled ahead of the Test series between India and England, set to commence tomorrow at Leeds.

The Anderson–Tendulkar Trophy, a joint initiative between the ECB and the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), will now represent all future Test series between England and India.

Previously, the series in England was played for the Pataudi Trophy and the series in India for the Anthony De Mello Trophy.

The Pataudi family will continue to be honoured, with a newly commissioned Pataudi Medal to be presented to the winning captain of each England–India Test series.

The trophy features imagery of Anderson and Tendulkar in action, along with their engraved signatures– a fitting tribute to two of the game’s most iconic figures.

Both Anderson and Tendulkar are widely regarded as all-time greats. They are the most-capped players in the history of Test cricket: Tendulkar played 200 matches, and Anderson 188.

Anderson, considered one of the finest exponents of swing bowling, took 704 Test wickets, the most by a fast bowler in the format. The Lancashire seamer ranks third on the all-time list, behind only spinners Muttiah Muralitharan and Shane Warne.

Tendulkar, one of the most complete batters to have graced the game, remains the highest run-scorer in Test history with 15,921 runs. He made his debut at the age of 16 and went on to enjoy a distinguished 24-year international career.

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Speaking on the occasion, James Anderson expressed pride to have his name on this prestigious trophy.

“It’s a proud moment for me and my family to have this iconic series named after Sachin and myself. The rivalry between our two nations has always been something special, full of history, intensity and unforgettable moments, James Anderson said.

“To be recognised in this way is a real honour. I’m looking forward to seeing the next chapter unfold in England this summer. It promises to be compelling, competitive cricket – exactly what you’d expect from two great sides. This is elite sport at its finest,” James Anderson added.

Sachin Tendulkar mentioned the longest format of cricket, noting that it teaches a player to fight against all odds.

“For me, Test cricket embodies life – you give your best, and if things go wrong, it gives you another day to regroup, think, unlearn, and bounce back. It is the highest form of the game that teaches you endurance, discipline and adaptability, against all odds. I owe my foundation to Test cricket, as it has seen me grow from disappointments to triumphs, from aspirations to fulfilment, Sachin Tendulkar stated.

Sachin Tendulkar further highlighted both teams’ role in nurturing the future of Test cricket, emphasising the celebration of red-ball cricket.

“India and England have played a big role in shaping Test cricket in a way that it remains an evolving inspiration for subsequent generations.

And now, as I share this recognition with my on-field challenger and an off-field gentleman, James, I hope that the world celebrates the essence of Test cricket even more, allowing it to traverse boundaries yet untrodden,” Sachin Tendulkar concluded.

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England legend James Anderson has shared his views about cricket’s ‘Fab Four’ comparison with Indian batting maestro Sachin Tendulkar.

The term ‘Fab Four’ was originally coined by late New Zealand great Martin Crowe back in 2013, when he predicted that Virat Kohli, Joe Root, Steve Smith, and Kane Williamson would dominate the cricketing landscape in the upcoming years.

His prediction proved right, as all four players went on to shatter many records and dominate the world, setting an impressive standard of excellence and consistency.

James Anderson, the leading wicket-taking fast bowler in Test cricket, recently appeared on a Podcast where he openly answered the questions regarding cricket’s ‘Fab fours’ comparison with an all time great, Sachin Tendulkar.

“Just below Tendulkar,” said Anderson in reply when asked about the comparison with Fab Four.

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The former India batting maestro, Sachin Tendulkar, is an all-time great, ranking as the leading run-scorer in both ODIs and Test cricket. The little master has amassed 18426 and 15921 runs, respectively, in 50-over and Test matches.

In addition to this question, James Anderson also revealed the toughest batter he had bowled to between Virat Kohli and Sachin Tendulkar.

“I had some success early against Kohli, the first time he came to England in 2014. I really exploited his weakness of outside off-stump, and then the next time I played against him – he had obviously gone back and worked on that – he was totally a different player, Anderson said.

He really had taken his game to a different level, made it very difficult for not just me but for bowlers in general. I got him out 4-5 times in the first series and then didn’t get him out in the next I played against him,” the right-arm pacer added.

The 42-year-old hailed Kohli’s ability to bounce back, noting that he was the most difficult to bowl at due to his mindset.

“Against Sachin, for example, I didn’t feel like there was that sort of shift in dominance. With Kohli, there was definitely a shift. Found him a very difficult player to bowl at because he had that steely mindset, wanted to get into a battle. He’s very competitive, and after that initial success, it was very difficult to bowl against,” James Anderson concluded.

For the unversed, James Anderson had a fierce battle with both batters, dismissing Virat Kohli seven times and Tendulkar nine times in Test matches.

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Legendary England pacer James Anderson garnered massive praise on India’s batting star Virat Kohli, terming him as the greatest finisher in white-ball cricket.

Anderson, who recently bid adieu to Test cricket, appeared in BBC’s Tailenders podcast and talked about his admiration for Kohli’s brilliance in run chases.

“I do not know if there is been a better batter in the history of the game batting second and chasing down scores than Virat Kohli,” Anderson said. “His record at chasing is absolutely phenomenal. The number of hundreds he has scored in the second innings, chasing down scores is ridiculous.”

Virat Kohli’s records in run chase in white-ball cricket back James Anderson’s remarks as the right-handed batter has scored 7,852 runs at an average of 64.36 with the help of 27 centuries and 40 fifties.

“It is no surprise that when he gets in that situation, with his mentality, it is just like it is meant to be. His self-belief is so high,” Anderson added.

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When asked if James Anderson considers Virat Kohli the greatest white-ball batter of all time, the England legend refrained before mentioning Australia’s Michael Bevan.

“I cannot say that. I was thinking more in terms of just chasing. Michael Bevan from Australia comes to my mind, particularly in the late 1990s and early 2000s – he was just phenomenal coming in at number six and doing that job,” the England pacer added.

“Kohli batting at number 3 gets those hundreds while Bevan was renowned for getting his 50s, 60s and being at the end, while Kohli gets the big score, to get his teams over the line. I honestly can’t think of a better finisher and greater white-ball players than him (Kohli),” he concluded.

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Retired England cricket legend James Anderson is considering a comeback to white-ball cricket just one month after retiring from Test cricket.

Anderson bid farewell to Test cricket last month after an illustrious 21-year-long career, during which he played 188 Tests for England.

With a remarkable tally of 704 wickets, he holds the record for the most wickets taken by a pace bowler in the history of the format.

However, the 42-year-older is now contemplating playing in The Hundred tournament, six years after playing an official white-ball game.

Anderson showed his interest in The Hundred owing to the favourable conditions for swing bowlers.

“There’s a bit of intrigue with the shorter formats because I’ve not played any franchise stuff before. Watching The Hundred this year, and seeing the ball swing around, makes me feel like I could do a job there,” said Anderson on the Final Word Cricket Podcast.

“I might be in a bit of denial because I’m well aware. I won’t play for England again but I’ve still not made a decision on my actual cricket career.”

Notably, his last white-ball match was the semi-final of the London One-Day Cup in 2019, between his boyhood club Lancashire and Hampshire.

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Meanwhile, his last international white-ball match was the ICC ODI World Cup game against Afghanistan in the 2015 edition.

However, he played his last shortest-format match in 2014 during the T20 Blast final between Lancashire and eventual champions Warwickshire.

James Anderson committed the latter portion of his career to focus on test cricket, steering clear of franchise leagues and limited-overs formats.

“Once this summer is done I can sit down and think if I want to play cricket in some shape or form again next year. I’m quite open at the minute to thoughts of any sort of cricket, I’m still fit enough to play and I’m not shutting myself off to anything,” he added.

“It’s hard to know if there’ll be any interest from people wanting me to play in that sort of thing so we’ll wait and see. I know it’s a while since I played it and my age will get brought up again but I really feel I’ll be good enough to play that form of cricket.”

For the unversed, the veteran pacer joined England’s coaching set-up as the fast-bowling mentor after his retirement.

“Bowling at the England lads in the nets, you have to have change-ups and slower balls. We constantly work on it, so I don’t think [the skills and variations] will be an issue,” he further stated.

“But I don’t know how much people will want a 42-year-old bowler in their team so we’ll have to wait and see.”

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England captain Ben Stokes believes “phenomenal” Chris Woakes can lead his team’s bowling attack as they start life without James Anderson as the new-ball spearhead.

Anderson retired from international duty following an innings and 114-run rout of the West Indies in the first Test at Lord’s last week.

The 41-year-old took 704 Test wickets — the most by any fast bowler in the format’s history — during an England-record 188 matches.

With Stuart Broad having retired after last year’s Ashes series against Australia, it means England are now without the pair’s combined 1,308 Test wickets as they head into the second Test at Trent Bridge on Thursday.

The match will also be the first time since 2012 that England have played a home Test without either Anderson or Broad.

But England still have seam-bowling experience in Chris Woakes, who will be playing his 50th Test this week.

The 35-year-old Warwickshire all-rounder averages an impressive 22.04 per wicket in red-ball internationals on home soil.

“I see it as an opportunity for someone like Woakesy to take on more of a leadership role in the bowling unit,” Stokes told a pre-match press conference on Wednesday.

“We’ve been so used to Jimmy and Broady doing that, so it’s a great opportunity for him. He’s a very experienced player and a phenomenal performer, particularly in England.

“It’s great for him to be able to lead the attack and 50 caps is a huge honour.”

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Stokes will also be able to call on express pace in both rising star Gus Atkinson and experienced Mark Wood. Atkinson took 12 wickets on his debut in Anderson’s farewell Test and hit speeds of 90mph (145kph).

While Wood has proved himself capable of even faster bowling and he is now set to be recalled as a replacement for Anderson in the only change to the England team from the first Test.

With England rebuilding ahead of the 2025/26 Ashes in Australia, Stokes is looking forward to having Atkinson and Wood at his disposal for the foreseeable future.

“It’s very exciting, the prospect of seeing Gus Atkinson bowl at one end and Mark Wood at the other,” said Stokes.

“Look at the way Gus bowled last week, it’s not only the 12 wickets, it’s finding another bowler who can bowl between 87-90mph.

“Woody is someone who had an unbelievable summer last year in the Ashes,” added Stokes, with his Durham team-mate taking 14 wickets in three matches as England fought back to draw the five-Test series 2-2.

“He was a massive player for us with a huge impact and everyone knows why — because of his pace.”

England could be forced into a late change if the partner of opening batsman Ben Duckett gives birth before Thursday’s toss, with Dan Lawrence on standby.

“There’s a plan in place for Ben and his partner,” said Stokes. “We’ll just have to make a decision if it was to happen before the game started.”

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Pakistan white-ball captain and ace batter Babar Azam penned a wholesome note to pay tribute to exceptional pacer James Anderson, who concluded his glittering Test career on Friday.

Anderson, playing his 188th and last Test for England, bowed out with 704 wickets, the most by any pacer in the history of the format.

“It’s been an amazing week, been overwhelmed with the reaction of the crowd and everyone around the ground,” Anderson told Sky Sports.

“I’m just proud of what I’ve achieved,” he added.

The right-arm pacer, who has a plethora of records to his name in the longest format of the game, received massive praise from the notable figures of the sport.

Among them was Pakistan captain Babar Azam, who said it was a privilege to face James Anderson’s cutters and called him the Greatest of All Time (GOAT).

“It was a privilege to face your swing, Jimmy!” wrote Babar on X, formerly Twitter.

“The beautiful game will now miss one of its greatest. Your incredible service to the sport has been nothing short of remarkable. Huge respect for you, GOAT,” he concluded with a salute emoji.

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Pakistan’s left-arm pacer Shaheen Shah Afridi also spoke highly of James Anderson and called the 41-year-old a motivation for the emerging pacers.

“Thank you for serving this sport for over 21 years James,” wrote Shaheen.

“You have been a source of motivation to many of us. Best of luck for your journey ahead,” he added.

Another Pakistan pacer Hasan Ali, who played alongside James Anderson for Lancashire in the County Championship, congratulated the veteran on an incredible journey.

“Huge respect to [James Anderson] on an amazing test career. You were a beast on the pitch, always keeping the batters on their toes, 704 wickets is insane. Congrats on an incredible journey bhai. You’ll be missed,” wrote Hasan.

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Indian legend Sachin Tendulkar said on Friday that the legendary pacer James Anderson had “inspired generations” after the England great bowed out of international cricket.

Anderson brought the curtain down on an England career spanning two decades as the hosts hammered the West Indies by an innings and 114 runs inside three days to win the first Test at Lord’s.

By taking a typically miserly 3-32 in 16 overs, veteran paceman Anderson, 42 later this month, took his final tally of Test wickets to 704 in 188 matches.

No other paceman has been as successful in Test cricket, with only spinners Shane Warne (708 wickets) and Muttiah Muralitharan (800) ahead of Anderson in the all-time standings.

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Sachin Tendulkar, the only man to have played more Tests than James Anderson with 200 appearances in the five-day game, paid tribute to the Lancashire swing bowler on X, formerly Twitter, by saying: “You’ve bowled the fans over with that incredible 22-year spell.

“Here’s a little wish as you bid goodbye. It has been a joy to watch you bowl — with that action, speed, accuracy, swing and fitness. You’ve inspired generations with your game.”

The 51-year-old Tendulkar, who retired from Test cricket in 2013 with a record 15,921 runs, added: “Wish you a wonderful life ahead with good health and happiness as you put those new shoes on for the most important spell of your life — the time with family.”

READ: James Anderson gets dream farewell as England rout West Indies in Lord’s Test