Cricket Apr 30, 2026

James Anderson: Former England bowler to captain Lancashire in County Championship at age of 44 next season

👤
By Admin
Sports Journalist
James Anderson: Former England bowler to captain Lancashire in County Championship at age of 44 next season

Former England bowler Sir James Anderson has been named Lancashire's captain for next season's County Championship.

The 43-year-old, England's all-time leading Test wicket-taker, made his debut for the Red Rose in 2002 and has continued to play for Lancashire since his international retirement.

He stepped in as skipper on an interim basis last season and will now lead the red-ball side in Division Two permanently having signed a new contract in November.

"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," Anderson said.

"We've got a fantastic group of players, a great blend of youth and experience and I'm excited about what we can achieve together, with promotion back to Division One our number one priority.

"I'm grateful for the support from Crofty, and from my team-mates, and I'm looking forward to leading the side into the new County Championship season in April."

New permanent head coach Steven Croft, who like Anderson spent his entire playing career with Lancashire, hailed Anderson as an example to the rest of his squad.

"Jimmy is an outstanding leader whose influence on the squad is immense. His experience in cricket is second to none, and the way he stepped into the captaincy during the second half of last season showed exactly why he's the right person for the job," Croft said.

"He also leads the way with his performances on the field and his commitment and dedication to training and living the right lifestyle sets the perfect standard for the rest of the dressing room."

Anderson's first match at the helm will be away at Northamptonshire on April 3.

Tags:

cricket news

Share this article

Related Posts

England to tour Australia for three one-day internationals and five T20 internationals in November and December 2026

England to tour Australia for three one-day internationals and five T20 internationals in November and December 2026

England will tour Australia for three one-day internationals and five T20 internationals across November and December.The eight-match trip begins with...

England men cricket fixtures and results 2026: T20 World Cup, plus games vs India, Pakistan, New Zealand and more

England men cricket fixtures and results 2026: T20 World Cup, plus games vs India, Pakistan, New Zealand and more

Full fixtures for England's men's side in 2026, including the T20 World Cup, home white-ball series against India and away Test tour of South Africa....

T20 World Cup: Pakistan players reportedly fined after failing to reach semi-finals, including leading run-scorer Sahibzada Farhan

T20 World Cup: Pakistan players reportedly fined after failing to reach semi-finals, including leading run-scorer Sahibzada Farhan

Pakistan's players have reportedly each been fined $18,000 (approximately £13,530) for an underwhelming T20 World Cup campaign in which they failed to...

England Women cricket fixtures and results 2026: T20 World Cup, India Test match at Lord's and more

England Women cricket fixtures and results 2026: T20 World Cup, India Test match at Lord's and more

Full fixtures for England's women's side in 2026, including the home T20 World Cup.All times UK and Ireland 🕰️

Ben Stokes: England captain to miss first month of county season as he continues to recover from gruesome cheek injury

Ben Stokes: England captain to miss first month of county season as he continues to recover from gruesome cheek injury

England Test captain Ben Stokes is poised to miss the first month of the County Championship season with Durham as he continues to recover from facial...

2026 T20 World Cup Team of the Tournament: India have four players picked from winning squad, Will Jacks and Adil Rashid represent England

2026 T20 World Cup Team of the Tournament: India have four players picked from winning squad, Will Jacks and Adil Rashid represent England

The 2026 T20 World Cup concluded with a thumping 96-run win for tournament hosts India over New Zealand, but which players have made the ICC's Team of...