‘If it was up to me it wouldn’t end like this’: Jimmy Anderson confirms Lancashire exit

England’s all-time record wicket-taker not offered new contract

Jimmy Anderson has confirmed he will leave Lancashire when his contract ends this year, after the county decided not to extend his deal for the 2027 season. The 44-year-old has not said whether he will retire or continue playing elsewhere.

Anderson reflected on his Lancashire career on Instagram. “I’ve supported Lancashire since I was a kid, and so to get to play for them for 25 years was a dream come true,” he wrote. “I have always found it special walking out to play at Old Trafford and have some incredible memories of doing so, including the honour of being captain.

“If it was up to me it wouldn’t have ended like this, but I wish the players and fans all the best for the future.”

Anderson made his Lancashire debut in 2001. He took 443 first-class wickets for the county in 112 appearances, plus 83 List A wickets in 61 matches and 50 T20 wickets in 40 appearances. His 50 wickets in the 2026 Championship at an average of 17.68 earned him Lancashire’s Championship player of the year award. The county finished second-bottom in Division Two and exited both limited-overs competitions in the group stage.

Paul Farbrace, Lancashire’s incoming director of cricket, said he had told Anderson the club would not extend his contract after a meeting with the chief executive, Richard Kenyon on 19 October. Farbrace said the club wanted to rebuild its squad to secure promotion and then challenge in Division One over the next three to four years.

The former England captain Nasser Hussain said Anderson’s departure was “a hugely sad way” for the bowler to leave the club. “I’d say most counties in the country would take Anderson, even at the age of 44,” he wrote in a Sky Sports column. “I’d rather not focus in on how it ended, both for England and for Lancashire – I’d rather be thankful that we’ve had 26 years of Anderson giving it all for England and Lancashire.”

Anderson’s Lancashire exit follows his retirement from international cricket in July 2024, after England moved on under Brendon McCullum. Anderson’s 188th and final Test was against West Indies at Lord’s. He finished with 704 wickets, England’s record and the most by any fast bowler in Test cricket.

Anderson held a one-year England central contract for 2023-24. By the time the ECB announced its next contracts in October 2024, he had retired and was no longer included. He signed one-year Lancashire deals for 2025 and 2026, continuing to play after his international career ended.