Counties show interest in James Anderson after Lancashire release

James Anderson has been told he will not be offered a new contract by Lancashire and will leave Old Trafford after being informed of the decision on Monday, with a number of counties understood to be keen to speak to the 44-year-old if he decides to continue playing next summer.

Anderson first played for Lancashire's first team in 2001 and captained the county last season; despite planning to play for another year he was informed he will not receive a new deal. He will leave the club he first represented professionally 25 years ago, having turned 44 this year and due to turn 45 in 2027. Anderson retired from international cricket in 2024 but remained in the domestic game, committing to continue with Lancashire in 2025 when he said he felt he could play for at least three more seasons.

It is understood that clubs in both divisions of the County Championship would be interested in negotiating with Anderson and that some have already made contact. Any potential move would be subject to the finances on offer, the role proposed and the practicalities of spending time away from his home in Cheshire. For a county, signing Anderson would be regarded as acquiring significant experience and ability on and off the field.

Last summer Anderson was Lancashire's County Championship player of the year after taking 50 wickets in Division Two; only six other bowlers in the second tier managed more. There is also the prospect that a new county could offer Anderson a pathway into coaching at the conclusion of his playing career, with his experience framed as an attractive resource for any club.

There are risks attached to any short-term signing owing to Anderson's age and injury history: although the report says he remains supremely fit, it adds he has been troubled by calf problems in the latter stages of his career and could be one injury away from retirement. Anderson was told of Lancashire's decision by the county's new chief executive Richard Kenyon and director of cricket Paul Farbrace and was not offered the opportunity to remain at Old Trafford on reduced terms.

Lancashire have yet to make a public statement but will hold a forum for the club's members on Monday when the matter is expected to be addressed. Anderson's contract does not officially expire until the end of October and it has been suggested the county would like him to remain involved with the club in some capacity, although the way his playing career with Lancashire has been ended makes it uncertain whether he would accept such an offer.

The immediate decision for Anderson is whether to retire or to open discussions with interested counties; his tally of 704 wickets for England—described in the report as the third-most by any man in Test history and the most by a pace bowler—frames the options available to him as he considers proposals before his contract expires at the end of October.