James Anderson will arrive at his 44th summer with another task on the to-do list: leading Lancashire through the County Championship. The club confirmed the move after Keaton Jennings stood down from the four-day job midway through last season.
Anderson, now 43, filled in twice during the 2025 campaign, and those short stints seem to have persuaded the hierarchy he is the right fit on a permanent basis. His Test career ended in July 2024 – 704 wickets, a knighthood and very little left to prove – yet he keeps turning up for the county he joined as a teenager in 2002. Six Championship outings last summer brought him 17 wickets at 25.94, figures that still stack up rather nicely.
“Captaining Lancashire for the first time last season was a huge privilege, and I’m honoured to take on the role full-time heading into the new season,” Anderson said. “We’ve got a fantastic group of players, a great blend of youth and experience, and I’m excited about what we can achieve together with promotion back to Division One our number one priority.”
The red-ball brief goes to Anderson; the white-ball duties stay with Jennings, who remains captain in the Vitality Blast after bagging 20 wickets at 16.10 in that format last year. Josh Bohannon continues as vice-captain, a role he picked up in 2024.
Lancashire’s 2025 season was, by their own admission, underwhelming. They missed out on a Division One return, and head coach Dale Benkenstein also departed. The job went to Steven Croft, long-time team-mate of Anderson and now charged with smoothing a few rough edges before the new campaign begins away to Northamptonshire on 3 April.
Croft did not hide his satisfaction at having Anderson at the helm. “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,” he said. “He also leads the way with his performances on the field and his commitment and dedication to training and living the right lifestyle sets the perfect standard for the rest of the dressing room. 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.”
Anderson, characteristically understated, closed on a note of thanks. “I’m grateful for the support from Crofty, and from my teammates,” he added, “and I’m looking forward to leading the side into the new County Championship season in April.”
A veteran seamer, a fresh head coach and a squad that still fancies its chances – Lancashire’s spring narrative writes itself. Whether the results follow is the bit even Anderson cannot guarantee.
