James Anderson officially appointed as captain amid England’s disastrous Ashes 2025–26 campaign

Former England pacer James Anderson will be turning 44 ahead of next summer, yet he has extended his commitment to the game after being named the captain of the Lancashire County team on a full-term basis for the upcoming season.

James Anderson, who is regarded as the greatest among red-ball bowlers in the history of the game, might have retired from the sport internationally, but is not yet ready to give up on the game as a sportsman.

The international legend is undoubtedly one of the greatest seam bowlers to have ever bowled with the red ball. He is England's highest wicket-taker and the third-highest wicket-taker in international cricket. He finished his career with just 9 wickets short of completing 1000 wickets.

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James Anderson has been appointed as Lancashire's full-time captain

Now 43, James Anderson, the former England great, has been handed a new responsibility this late in his career. When modern-day players are retiring in their early 30s, Anderson denies giving up, even in his mid-40s, and that too in the role of a fast bowler.

He will be 44 by the time the next season begins, and Lancashire has appointed him as the full-time captain for the County Championship campaign. He took over this role following the resignation of Keaton Jennings during the last season.

However, now he is no longer the stand-in skipper but has been appointed for a full-time role. He had shown no signs of winding up a career with Lancashire, as he claimed 17 wickets last season in 6 appearances.

Lancashire veteran Steven Croft has extended his faith in his former teammate

After being appointed as the captain for Lancashire, Anderson claimed that it was a privilege to lead the side last season and he is equally honoured to adopt the role full-time for the upcoming season.

James Anderson showed faith in his players, saying they have a fine blend of youth and experienced players. "I'm excited about what we can achieve together, with promotion back to Division One, our number one priority," said James Anderson.

Former Lancashire veteran Steven Croft was named the head coach after he retired at the end of the 2024 season. He has invested his faith in his longtime teammate in the Lancashire side.

"Jimmy is an outstanding leader whose influence on the squad is immense. 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," Croft had said on handing captaincy to Anderson.

Keaton Jennings will continue to serve as a captain in the Vitality Blast

Keaton Jennings is likely to continue as the captain for the Vitality Blast, a format in which Anderson also excelled in the last season. He claimed 20 wickets at an average of 16.10 as he helped them through to the finals.

Also, Josh Bohannon will remain as the vice-captain of the County side after being appointed to the role in 2024. "With Jimmy as captain and Josh continuing as vice-captain, we have a strong, stable leadership team that will drive our ambitions in the County Championship next season," coach Croft added.

Lancashire will begin their Championship campaign on Friday, with a game against Northamptonshire and then against Derbyshire at Emirates Old Trafford the following week.

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