A legendary English cricketer is about to experience a brand new chapter in his remarkable journey.
After a 25-year-long professional career, more than 600 matches, and over 1,500 wickets, James Anderson is set to taste something he’s never experienced before—captaincy. For the first time in his professional cricket career, the most successful fast bowler in Test history will lead a side. Anderson will captain Lancashire in their next two County Championship matches.
With regular captain Marcus Harris returning to Australia to be with his wife for the birth of their first child, Anderson—who turns 43 next month—will step in as interim captain.
He’ll be Lancashire’s third red-ball captain this season. Harris himself was also filling in temporarily after Keaton Jennings stepped down following five matches due to a poor start to the season. Head coach Dale Benkenstein also resigned soon after.
Lancashire haven’t won any of their seven County Championship matches so far—five losses and two draws.
Their next outing is against Kent on Sunday, followed by a match against Derbyshire starting June 29. Interim coach Steven Croft is thrilled to have Anderson as skipper for these two games.
“Jimmy (Anderson) leading the side is exciting for him and for us. He’s captained just once before—in a T20 during a pre-season tour in Dubai—so this will be a great experience for both him and the lads. He has so much to offer on and off the field. It’ll be a proud moment for him.”
Anderson officially retired from Test cricket last July after taking his 704th wicket in the Lord’s Test against West Indies. After stepping away, he joined England’s coaching staff as a bowling consultant, and many assumed his playing days were over. He also began working as a TV commentator and analyst.
But in January this year, he signed a new contract with Lancashire, hinting at a return. A leg muscle injury, however, kept him out of the first six County Championship matches. He finally made his comeback last month against Derbyshire, picking up 5 wickets in the match—his first in more than 10 months.
Earlier this month, Anderson also returned to T20 cricket after nearly 11 years. In his comeback game in the Vitality Blast, he delivered a career-best spell, taking 3 wickets for 17 runs. He followed it up with two more 3-wicket hauls in his next three matches. In four games, he bowled 15 overs, took 10 wickets, and maintained an economy rate of 6.86.
Before his leadership debut against Kent, Anderson is expected to play one more Vitality Blast game this Friday—again against Derbyshire.
The Kent match will be significant not only because of his captaincy debut, but also because it will mark his 300th first-class appearance. In this format, he has already claimed 1,131 wickets. Across all formats of recognized cricket, Anderson has played 608 matches and taken a staggering 1,540 wickets.
