James Anderson is now officially Sir James. The 43-year-old fast bowler was knighted by Princess Anne at Windsor Castle on Tuesday, six months after appearing in former Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s resignation honours list for “services to cricket”.
“I’m proud to have played for as long as I have, and still feel my body could go again, but I know it’s the right moment,” Anderson told BBC Sport when he stepped down from international cricket in July 2024. That Test at Lord’s closed a remarkable 21-year England career spanning 188 matches and 704 wickets – the most by any pace bowler and third overall behind spin greats Muttiah Muralitharan and Shane Warne.
The numbers only tell part of the story. Former captain Joe Root, speaking to Sky Sports, said Anderson had “set the benchmark for every fast bowler who pulls on an England shirt”. His white-ball record is often forgotten: 269 one-day wickets, still an England best despite his last ODI coming back in 2015.
Since retiring from England duty, Anderson has carried on for Lancashire. He slipped back into T20 cricket after a decade away, helped the Red Rose reach Finals Day and even earned a Hundred wildcard with Manchester Originals. Lancashire coach Glen Chapple told BBC Radio Lancashire, “We’d love him to keep bowling for us as long as he fancies.” Talks over a 2025 county deal are ongoing.
A knighthood is rare in the modern game – Sir Alastair Cook was the last England cricketer to receive one. Anderson admitted earlier this year the honour felt “surreal”, yet few argue it is undeserved. He reinvented himself repeatedly, mastering wobble-seam and late swing, staying fit while younger seamers broke down.
Whether he adds another summer with Lancashire or finally puts his feet up, the new title merely confirms what most cricket followers already believed: Anderson’s contribution to English cricket stands close to unmatched – and now it is written into the honours list as well as the record books.
