James Anderson’s legendary profession might be over after Lancashire opted towards providing England’s all-time main wicket-taker a brand new contract.
Anderson, 44, selected to proceed taking part in with Lancashire after England pressured him into worldwide retirement in 2024.
He captained Lancashire within the County Championship final season however the Purple Rose endured a poor marketing campaign, ending subsequent to backside of Division Two.
Now, as first reported by the Instances, Anderson is not going to be given the chance to play at Previous Trafford in 2027 – the summer season when he’ll flip 45.
It isn’t recognized whether or not Anderson will retire or look to increase his 26-year skilled profession with one other county.
Anderson first performed top-level cricket as a 17-year-old for Lancashire Cricket Board in 2000, then made his Lancashire debut the next yr.
His exit from the Purple Rose comes at a time of upheaval at Previous Trafford. The county are present process a evaluate of their cricket operations, led by interim chair Dame Sarah Storey and new chief government Richard Kenyon. Paul Farbrace was appointed as Lancashire’s director of cricket earlier this month.
Though Anderson is in his mid-40s, he has remained in supreme kind in a struggling group.
He took 50 wickets within the County Championship in 2026, a tally bettered by solely six different bowlers in Division Two. Anderson was named Lancashire’s Championship participant of the yr.
Total, 443 of Anderson’s 1,193 first-class wickets got here for Lancashire, to go together with 83 Listing A wickets and 50 T20 wickets for the county.
In a 23-year worldwide profession, Anderson took 991 wickets throughout codecs for England. Solely spinners Muttiah Muralitharan of Sri Lanka and Australia’s Shane Warne have extra in worldwide cricket.
In 2024, Anderson turned the third bowler in Check historical past, after Muralitharan and Warne, to achieve 700 wickets. He stays third on the all-time checklist with 704, a report for a tempo bowler that’s unlikely to be damaged.
Later that yr, Anderson was requested to name time on his worldwide profession by England’s then hierarchy of coach Brendon McCullum, captain Ben Stokes and director of cricket Rob Key.
He performed his 188th and closing Check towards West Indies at Lord’s earlier than embarking on a brief spell as England’s bowling advisor.
In 2025, Anderson signed a brand new take care of Lancashire and steered he might play county cricket for 3 extra seasons. In April of that yr, he was knighted for providers to cricket.
Anderson stood in as Lancashire captain in the course of the 2025 season and was given the job full-time for 2026.
He was understood to be having fun with the position and, on the finish of the this summer season, there was no suggestion Anderson would finish his profession.
On Wednesday, as experiences of his exit from Previous Trafford started to emerge, these near Anderson have been unaware of the scenario. Lancashire haven’t commented.