James Anderson is in talks to join Surrey next season and extend his career in county cricket.
Anderson, 44, was released by his boyhood club Lancashire in October after more than 25 years of service, a decision he said left him “sad” and “quite shocked” and asked if it had “something to do with me as a person”.
England’s all-time leading player told BBC podcast Tailenders last month that he had not decided whether to pursue a deal elsewhere, but Sky Sports News He is understood to have held talks with Surrey and could play at the Kia Oval, where he scored 50 wickets in 16 Tests between 2003 and 2023.
Anderson, who turns 45 next July, may now get a chance to add to his tally of 1,193 first-class wickets and perhaps add more silverware to a glittering CV that includes four Ashes series victories and the 2010 T20 World Cup in the Caribbean.
Anderson left Lancashire despite a productive season
The Burnley-born bowler took 50 wickets at an average of 17.68 for Lancashire in the County Championship Second Division in 2026.
His exit from Old Trafford came with the hierarchy, including new director of cricket Paul Farbrace, planning to build an attack for the future after a poor couple of seasons in red-ball cricket.
Anderson captained Lancashire into the final round as the county finished bottom of the second tier, ahead of only Gloucestershire.
Set to play in the Italy T10 for Napoli Knights later this month, the seamer has been forced out of international retirement by England in 2024.
Anderson took four wickets in his last Test against West Indies at Lord’s and scored 704 runs in 188 games at an average of 26.45 in the longest format.
He is the most prolific pace bowler in Test history, with only Sri Lankan off-spinner Muttiah Muralitharan (800) and Australian leg-spinner Shane Warne (708) scoring more.
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Speaking on the For the Love of Cricket podcast, Stuart Broad called Lancashire’s decision not to renew Anderson’s contract “disrespectful” (Credit: For the Love of Cricket)
Atherton: Lancashire didn’t handle Anderson’s release badly
Speaking in the sky Sports Cricket Podcast recently, Michael Atherton disagreed with the view of some that Lancashire mishandled Anderson’s release.
“When someone like Farbrace comes in as director of cricket in Lancashire, or like Rob Key in England, when they decide to move on, how do you do it?” he said Sky Sports pundit and former England captain Atherton.
“In both cases, Anderson was told to his face. It wasn’t done behind his back.
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Sky Sports’ Nasser Hussain and Kumar Sangakkara reflect on Anderson’s Lancashire performance
“Lancashire told him the reasoning and then when the members met, I think Farbrace was abroad, but he called and didn’t hide behind the decision.
“He took full responsibility for it, so you can’t say it was mishandled.”
Anderson made his Lancashire debut in List A cricket in 2001 before making his first first-class appearance a year later.