England bowling great Anderson named as Lancashire captain

England test great James Anderson has been named as Lancashire's captain for next season's County Championship at the age of 43.

The country's all-time leading test wicket-taker made his first-class debut for Lancashire in 2002 and has continued to play for the county since his international retirement in 2024.

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 one-year contract in November.

🗣️ @jimmy9

Clear target for 2026 from our captain. 🎯

🌹 #RedRoseTogether pic.twitter.com/ci6Yy4L6AZ — Lancashire Cricket (@lancscricket) December 12, 2025

"Captaining Lancashire for the first time last season was a huge privilege and I'm honoured to take on the role fulltime 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 No 1 priority."

Anderson took 704 wickets in 188 tests, the highest number for a pace bowler in cricket history.

Head coach Steven Croft hailed the bowler as an example to the rest of his squad.

"Jimmy is an outstanding leader whose influence on the squad is immense," he said.

"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."

Anderson's first match at the helm will be away at Northamptonshire on 3 April 2026.