James Anderson has expressed that he is not ruling out extending his playing career at Lancashire for up to three more years, despite an injury that will sideline him for the first month of the County Championship season.
The 42-year-old, England’s all-time leading wicket-taker, retired from international cricket last year but has committed to playing for Lancashire in 2025. Anderson sustained a right calf injury during pre-season training, which will prevent him from participating in Lancashire’s initial matches in April. However, he remains open to continuing his professional career beyond this season.
“I want to focus on this year and do as well as I can,” Anderson told. “I am not ruling out playing for another one, two, or three years. I don’t think you should limit yourself to that.”
Anderson referenced the longevity of his former teammate Glen Chapple, who played for Lancashire until he was 41, and Darren Stevens, who continued playing first-class cricket for Kent until the age of 46.
“I know my body can take quite a lot when it comes to bowling in four-day cricket,” Anderson said. “I feel fortunate to be in this position, and I want to give as much as I can.”
His decision to retire from international cricket followed discussions with England coach Brendon McCullum and captain Ben Stokes, who are focused on building a bowling attack for the future. Anderson was given an emotional farewell in the first Test against the West Indies at Lord’s last July.
On Tuesday, he emphasized that his decision to continue playing is driven by his love for the sport rather than a desire to prove England wrong.
“The best part of playing a team sport is winning as a team, and if your focus drifts away from that, it’s not as enjoyable, and you don’t perform as well,” he said.
Anderson has not played competitively since the West Indies Test, though he has been actively training with Lancashire and bowling in the nets while also working as England’s bowling coach. Although he does not have a formal role with the national team, he has left open the possibility of contributing during the summer while prioritizing his playing commitments at Lancashire.
“I want to give playing a good go, so that’s what I’ve told them,” Anderson said. “I want to prioritize playing cricket for Lancs. If there are opportunities throughout the summer where they want me to come in and do stuff, we’ll have to cross that bridge.”
Anderson’s contract with Lancashire includes T20 cricket, meaning he could make his first appearance in the format since 2014. He entered this year’s Hundred draft but was not selected.
In his only County Championship appearance for Lancashire last summer, he delivered an outstanding performance, taking 7-35 against Nottinghamshire at Southport.