James Anderson to play past 44, set to outlast MS Dhoni in endurance battle

The legendary England pacer James Anderson is proving that age is just a number. James Anderson is set to extend his remarkable career beyond his 44th birthday after agreeing to a new contract with Lancashire for the 2026 season.

Anderson, who already retired from international cricket in 2024, had signed on for the 2025 County Championship season, but his consistent brilliance has now earned him another year with the Lancashire County Cricket Club.

James Anderson signs new deal with Lancashire

The fresh one-year deal means Anderson’s professional career will stretch into its 25th year since his debut for Lancashire in 2001. In 2025, the veteran fast bowler claimed 17 wickets in six County Championship games and made a stunning return to T20 cricket after a decade away from the format.

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The legendary England pacer scalped 20 wickets for Lancashire across the format, which showed his enduring class and adaptability.

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Those performances also earned Anderson his first-ever stint in franchise cricket, as he joined the Manchester Originals in The Hundred. Meanwhile, Anderson, who captained Lancashire in the County Championship, could continue leading the county side in 2026 as well.

The new contract is yet another chapter in his extraordinary journey. Earlier this year, it was confirmed that Anderson would be knighted for his services to cricket in the coming weeks.

James Anderson focuses on County Cricket

Meanwhile, James Anderson finished his career with 704 wickets as he brought down the curtain on his legendary career at Lord’s in 2024 following the first Test against the West Indies. He is third on the all-time Test wicket-takers list, behind Muttiah Muralitharan and Shane Warne.

After his retirement, Anderson briefly served as a bowling consultant with the England cricket team but quit the role last summer to focus entirely on Lancashire.

Following his departure, New Zealand’s Tim Southee took over the role, but his involvement in England’s upcoming Ashes 2025-26 remains uncertain due to his own commitments.

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James Anderson is likely to return to the England coaching staff as Tim Southee’s availability is uncertain

Meanwhile, England’s preparations for the Ashes 2025-26 in Australia have suffered a setback, with bowling consultant Tim Southee uncertain about his availability. The former New Zealand fast bowler, who joined England’s coaching staff in May as a specialist skills consultant across all formats, is now expected to be available for only the first Test in Perth, starting November 21.

The reason behind Southee’s limited involvement with England was due to scheduling conflicts with the upcoming ILT20, which kicks off on December 2 this year. The early start of ILT20, which was moved ahead to avoid a clash with February’s ICC T20 World Cup 2026, leaves little room for Southee to commit to the full Ashes tour.

Southee’s short-term availability adds an extra layer of uncertainty to the team’s preparations ahead of the high-stakes Test series Down Under. His absence could see the return of James Anderson as England’s consultant for the Ashes.