James Anderson Named Lancashire’s County Championship Captain for 2026 Season

England legend James Anderson will take on a major new role in his 44th year after being appointed Lancashire’s full-time captain for the 2026 County Championship. The veteran seamer, who retired from Test cricket in July 2024 with a record 704 wickets, steps into the position following Keaton Jennings’ resignation last year.

Anderson briefly filled in as interim captain twice during the 2025 season, impressing the club enough to earn the permanent appointment.

Still going strong at 43

Despite receiving a knighthood and ending an illustrious England career, Anderson has shown no inclination to step back from Lancashire, the club he debuted for as a teenager in 2002. In the 2025 Championship campaign, he claimed 17 wickets at 25.94 in six matches, continuing to lead by example with the ball.

Jennings will continue as Vitality Blast captain, a format in which Anderson excelled last season, taking 20 wickets at 16.10 during Lancashire’s run to Finals Day. Josh Bohannon remains club vice-captain.

Anderson: “A huge privilege”

Speaking after his appointment, Anderson said captaining Lancashire full-time was an honour.

“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. We’ve got a fantastic group of players, and I’m excited about what we can achieve together with promotion back to Division One our number one priority.”

New era for Lancashire under Croft

Lancashire’s underwhelming 2025 Championship campaign prompted significant changes behind the scenes. Head coach Dale Benkenstein departed, and long-serving club stalwart Steven Croft, who retired at the end of 2024, took over as head coach.

Croft said Anderson was the obvious choice to lead the red-ball side:

“Jimmy is an outstanding leader whose influence on the squad is immense. His experience is second to none, and the way he stepped into the captaincy last season showed why he’s the right person for the job. His performances, commitment, and lifestyle set the perfect standard for the dressing room.”

Croft added that with Anderson as captain and Bohannon continuing as vice-captain, Lancashire now have “a strong, stable leadership team” for the 2026 campaign.

Season opener on April 3

Lancashire will begin their push for promotion back to Division One with an away fixture against Northamptonshire on April 3, followed by a home encounter against Derbyshire at Emirates Old Trafford the following week.