Still weighing his future, James Anderson is shocked by Lancashire exit and unsure whether to play elsewhere
Lancashire ends Anderson’s spell
Lancashire’s incoming director of cricket, Paul Farbrace, made the decision after meeting Anderson and the club’s new chief executive, Richard Kenyon. The club told Anderson it wanted to develop an attack for the future.
Anderson had taken 50 County Championship wickets and captained Lancashire last season. He said he initially thought discussion with the club was about his captaincy, adding that he finished the season wondering whether he had done something wrong.
Questions about what comes next
Anderson said the news brought back questions about whether something was fundamentally wrong with him. He said he did not know if his career was over and that he would have to wait and see.
He has not decided whether to play for another county. Anderson said he was weighing up the best way forward and felt excited about the possibility of either doing something different or playing cricket again. He joked that he would not have expected to play for Lancashire’s historic rivals, Yorkshire.
A career with Lancashire
Anderson took 443 first-class wickets for Lancashire, as well as 83 in List A cricket and 50 in T20s. Across international cricket, he claimed 911 wickets, a record for England and for pace bowlers.
He said Lancashire was the club he supported as a child, where he had memorable days watching with his father, and where he later played and captained. Anderson described himself as sad about how his time with the club ended, while also looking forward to the future.
Reaction to his release
The decision angered Lancashire members. Stuart Broad, Anderson’s former England bowling partner, called the handling “pretty disrespectful” and said it showed a lack of leadership because Anderson was not given a farewell.
England had also moved on from Anderson in 2024 as it looked to refresh its attack ahead of the 2025-26 Ashes in Australia. The article says the county release came in similar circumstances.
Key points
- Anderson says he is sad and shocked after Lancashire released him.
- He took 50 County Championship wickets and captained the side last season.
- The fast bowler has not decided whether to continue at another county.
- Stuart Broad criticised Lancashire for not giving Anderson a farewell.