Sky Sports News understands James Anderson is in talks with Surrey to extend his country cricket career; Anderson was released by Lancashire after last season, despite taking 50 wickets and serving as captain James Anderson is in talks to join Surrey next season and extend his career in county cricket. Anderson, 44, was released by boyhood club Lancashire in October after over 25 years of service, a decision he said left him “sad” and “quite shocked” and made him question if there was something “fundamentally wrong with me as a person”. England’s all-time leading wicket-taker told his BBC podcast Tailenders last month that he had not decided whether to pursue a deal elsewhere, but Sky Sports News understands he is in negotiations with Surrey and could play at The Kia Oval, a venue where he claimed 50 wickets in 16 Tests between 2003 and 2023. Anderson, who turns 45 in July of next year, could now get the chance to increase his haul 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.
The Burnley-born bowler picked up 50 wickets at an average of 17.68 in County Championship Division Two for Lancashire in 2026. His exit from Old Trafford came as the hierarchy, including new director of cricket Paul Farbrace, plot to build an attack for the future after a poor few seasons in red-ball cricket. Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player Anderson captained Lancashire last term as the county finished second bottom of the second tier, ahead of only Gloucestershire. The seamer – who is poised to play in the Italia T10 for Napoli Knights later this month – was forced into international retirement by England in 2024.
Anderson took four wickets in his final Test, against West Indies at Lord’s, to end with 704 wickets across 188 games in the longest format, at an average of 26.45. 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) taking more wickets. Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player Speaking on the Sky Sports Cricket Podcast recently, Michael Atherton disagreed with the views of some that Lancashire had handled Anderson’s release badly. “When somebody like Farbrace comes in as director of cricket at Lancashire, or in England’s case Rob Key, when they’ve decided to move on, how do you do that?” said Sky Sports pundit and former England captain Atherton.
“In both instances, Anderson was told face to face. It wasn’t done behind his back. Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player “Lancashire told him the rationale and then when the members meeting was held, I think Farbrace was abroad, but he dialled in and didn’t hide behind the decision. “He took full accountability for it, so I don’t think you can say it’s been handled badly.” Anderson made his Lancashire debut in List A cricket in 2001 before a maiden first-class appearance followed a year later.
