James Anderson

James Michael Anderson OBE was born on 30 July 1982 in Burnley, England. He attended St Mary’s and St Theodore’s RC High School in Burnley, where he developed a passion for cricket. Anderson played cricket at Burnley Cricket Club from a young age, and his childhood dream was to become a cricketer.

Anderson’s talent as a fast bowler was evident from a young age, and at the age of 17, after a growth spurt, he became one of the fastest bowlers in the Lancashire League. He stated, “I’ve always bowled seam, but when I was about 17 I don’t know what it was but I just started bowling fast all of a sudden.” He also revealed his support for Burnley FC, showcasing his passion for sports.

 International Career

James Anderson made his Test debut for England in 2003 and played for England’s One-Day International (ODI) team between 2002 and 2015. He also represented England’s Twenty20 International (T20I) team between 2007 and 2009. Anderson was a key member of the England team that won the 2010 ICC World Twenty20.

Anderson’s international career has been marked by numerous achievements. He holds the record for the most wickets by a pace bowler in Test cricket history, with over 650 wickets to his name. He was the first fast bowler to take 600 or more Test wickets and is England’s record Test wicket-taker. Anderson has played the most Test matches for England, and the second-most of any cricketer, behind Sachin Tendulkar. He is also England’s highest wicket-taker in One Day Internationals with 269 wickets.

As a batsman, Anderson, along with Joe Root, holds the world record for the highest tenth-wicket stand in Tests, scoring 198 runs together.

 Achievements and Recognition

Anderson is widely regarded as one of the greatest bowlers of all time. In 2018, on the occasion of England’s 1,000th Test, he was named in the country’s greatest all-time Test XI by the England and Wales Cricket Board. As of February 2024, he is ranked as the number seven Test bowler in the world in the ICC Men’s Player Rankings.

 Personal Life and Ventures

Off the field, James Anderson has ventured into fashion design, with proceeds from his designs going to his sponsored charity, Nordoff-Robbins. He has also worked as the face of British hair styling brand Hairbond and has collaborated with London-based menswear brand Chess London. In 2014, he launched his own menswear brand and has been working with British watchmaker Harold Pinchbeck to release a watch since 2015.

Anderson has also been active in the media, becoming the first cricketer to model naked for Attitude, “Britain’s biggest-selling gay magazine,” in 2010. He has been vocal in his support for gay cricketers, stating that there should be no homophobia in cricket.

 Domestic Career

James Anderson made his competitive debut for the Lancashire Cricket Board in a List A one-day match in the 2000 NatWest Trophy. He later made his first-class debut for Lancashire in 2002 and quickly rose through the ranks. Anderson became the youngest player to take a hat-trick for Lancashire in 2003, just a week before his Test match debut against Zimbabwe. He has had several standout performances for Lancashire, including a first-class ten-wicket haul against Worcestershire in 2004.

Throughout his domestic career, Anderson has been a consistent performer for Lancashire, with several match-winning performances to his name. His ability to swing the ball both ways and his deceptive pace have made him a formidable bowler in both domestic and international cricket.

International Career

Early Career and World Cup Debut (2002-03)  

James Anderson burst onto the international scene with his ODI debut for England in December 2002 against Australia in Melbourne. Despite playing only five List A matches before his selection, Anderson impressed with 23 wickets at an average of 26.75. His debut came before he was even awarded his County cap, showing the early recognition of his talent. Anderson’s performance in his debut series, which also included Sri Lanka, earned him a place in England’s squad for the 2003 World Cup.

Test Debut and Initial Success (2003)  

Anderson made his Test debut against Zimbabwe at Lord’s in 2003, immediately making an impact by taking five wickets in an innings. This performance made him the 42nd Englishman to achieve this feat. He continued to show promise in the subsequent One-Day tournaments against Pakistan, South Africa, and Zimbabwe, showcasing his ability to perform in both formats of the game.

Challenges Against South Africa (2003)  

Despite his early success, Anderson faced challenges during the Test series against South Africa in 2003. While he was England’s leading wicket-taker in the series, his performances were inconsistent, and he struggled against the South African captain, Graeme Smith. This series highlighted the need for Anderson to further develop his skills and consistency at the international level.

Recognition and Awards (2003)  

In 2003, Anderson was named Young Cricketer of the Year, becoming the first player to be unanimously voted for the award. This recognition underscored his potential and talent as a fast bowler, setting the stage for his future success in international cricket.

Injuries and Form Concerns (2004-05)  

Anderson’s progress was hindered by injuries and form concerns in the following years. He faced challenges maintaining consistency in his bowling and struggled to secure a regular place in the England team. Despite these setbacks, Anderson continued to work on his game, determined to overcome these obstacles and establish himself as a key player for England.

Return to Form and Test Milestones (2006-07)  

Anderson’s perseverance paid off, and he experienced a return to form in 2006-07. He achieved significant milestones in Test cricket, including his 50th Test wicket against India and becoming the first England bowler to dismiss Rahul Dravid, Sachin Tendulkar, and Sourav Ganguly in the same innings. These performances highlighted Anderson’s growth as a bowler and his ability to deliver on the big stage.

Injuries and World Cup Setback (2007)  

Despite his resurgence, Anderson faced setbacks with injuries, including a broken finger before the 2007 World Cup. This injury impacted his participation in the tournament, highlighting the challenges and uncertainties that come with a professional cricket career.

Consistency and All-Round Contributions (2008)  

Anderson’s career continued to evolve in 2008, with improved consistency and all-round contributions to the England team. He played a crucial role in England’s series wins against New Zealand, showcasing his ability to perform consistently and make valuable contributions with both bat and ball.

Evolution as a Cricketer (2008)  

By 2008, Anderson had evolved into a seasoned cricketer, capable of delivering match-winning performances and contributing significantly to England’s success. His improved batting performances added another dimension to his game, making him a valuable asset to the team in all formats of the game.

In the spring of 2008, Anderson toured New Zealand with England, playing in the Twenty20 series and the one-day series. Despite struggling in the one-day series, Anderson was allowed to join Auckland Cricket Club to regain form. He was left out of the first Test but recalled for the second, where he took 5/73 in the first innings. Anderson’s selection was a surprise, but he delivered a match-winning performance as England won by 126 runs. He sustained an ankle injury before the third Test but recovered to be selected, though less effective. In the final Test, he had match figures of 1/153 as England won by 121 runs and the series 2–1.

During New Zealand’s tour of England later in 2008, Anderson continued to perform well, finishing as the leading wicket-taker of the series with 19 wickets. In the final match, he scored a career Test-best 28 and recorded match figures of 7/43 in the first innings, helping England win by an innings and nine runs to secure a 2–0 series win. Anderson’s performances in the series earned him praise and the Man of the Match award in the final Test.

2009:

In 2009, Anderson faced a challenging tour of the West Indies. After being dropped for the first Test, he was recalled for the second, where he bowled wicketless but took a crucial catch. In the fourth Test, he contributed with both bat and ball, scoring 20 and taking key wickets to help England secure an innings victory. Anderson’s performance in the Test series was instrumental in England’s success.

In the ODI series that followed, Anderson had mixed results, with some economical spells but also going wicketless in some matches. However, his contributions helped England win crucial matches, including a narrow victory decided by the Duckworth–Lewis method in the first ODI.

2010:

Anderson’s 2010 began with a successful tour of Bangladesh, where he played a key role in England’s series win, particularly in the second Test where he took 4–78 and 1–84. He also contributed with both bat and ball in the ODI series, helping England secure a 2–0 victory.

In the subsequent series against Pakistan and Sri Lanka, Anderson continued to excel, particularly in the Test matches. He took 11 wickets in the first Test against Pakistan and 5 wickets in the first Test against Sri Lanka, playing a crucial role in England’s series victories.

2011:

In 2011, Anderson was part of England’s squad for the ICC World Cup. While he had a mixed tournament, he played a key role in some matches, including helping England defend a low total against South Africa.

In the Test series against India, Anderson was exceptional, taking regular wickets and playing a crucial role in England’s 4–0 series win. He was particularly effective against right-handed batsmen, showcasing his skill and versatility as a bowler.

2012:

Anderson’s performances in 2012 were highlighted by his success against the West Indies, where he took crucial wickets in the second Test to help England win the series 2–0. He also performed well in the ODI series against Australia, contributing with both bat and ball.

Against South Africa, Anderson faced tough competition from Dale Steyn but managed to perform admirably, particularly in the ODI series where he took key wickets. Despite England’s series loss in the Tests, Anderson’s performances were a bright spot for the team.

2013:

In 2013, Anderson continued to be a key player for England, particularly in the Ashes series against Australia. He played a crucial role in England’s series win, taking key wickets and showcasing his ability to swing the ball effectively.

Throughout the year, Anderson maintained his status as one of the world’s premier fast bowlers, contributing consistently with both bat and ball. His performances were instrumental in England’s success in various series and tournaments.

2014:

After the Ashes series, England faced India in a home series. In the first Test, Anderson and Joe Root set several records in England’s first innings. Anderson scored his maiden first-class fifty, posting the highest score (81 runs) by an England No. 11 batsman in Test history. His innings, lasting 230 minutes, set a new record for the longest innings by a No. 11 batsman in Test history. Anderson and Root also set a new world record for a 10th-wicket partnership in Test cricket, scoring 198 runs, surpassing the previous record set by Australians Phillip Hughes and Ashton Agar. Despite their efforts, England lost the match, increasing pressure on the team.

In the second Test, Anderson faced criticism for his performance as England lost, with him finishing with match figures of 5–137. However, he bounced back in the third Test, taking figures of 5–53 in the first innings and 2–24 in the second as England leveled the series. His first-innings spell was nominated as one of the best Test bowling performances of the year 2014 by ESPNcricinfo. In the fourth match, he took match figures of 5–64 as England won by an innings to go 2–1 up in the series. Anderson was pivotal again in the final match, taking four wickets in the match as England secured the series victory. He was named Man of the Series for taking 25 wickets.

Anderson had a mixed ODI series against India. After the first match was abandoned, he went wicketless in the first three games as England went 3–0 down. However, he performed well in the final match, taking figures of 2–39 as England won.

2015:

In 2015, Anderson returned from injury for the Tri-Series against India, where he took 4–18 in the second match to help England win. Despite a wicketless match against Australia, Anderson’s performance against India helped England qualify for the final, where they finished runners-up.

In the 2015 World Cup, Anderson struggled to make an impact. He failed to take a wicket against Australia and New Zealand and managed only two wickets against Scotland. Although he bowled economically against Bangladesh, England lost the game and were eliminated from the tournament.

During the first Test of the West Indies tour in Antigua, Anderson took his 384th Test wicket, surpassing Ian Botham’s record to become England’s all-time highest Test wicket-taker. Despite his efforts, the match ended in a draw. In the second Test, Anderson’s figures of 4–43 in the second innings helped England win by nine wickets to go 1–0 up in the series. In the final Test, he took 6–42 in the first innings as England took a lead but could not prevent a defeat as the series ended 1–1. He was awarded the player of the series.

New Zealand’s tour of England saw Anderson take 1–88 in New Zealand’s first innings in the first Test, helping England win by 124 runs. In the second Test, he took 2–43 and made an unbeaten ten with the bat as England leveled the series. Despite his efforts, New Zealand won the Test to draw the series at 1–1. During the series, Anderson took his 400th Test wicket and scored his 1000th Test run.

In the Ashes series against Australia, Anderson took 3–43 in Australia’s first innings in the first Test, helping England win by 169 runs. He failed to take a wicket in the second Test as Australia won by 405 runs. In the third Test, Anderson’s 6–47 in Australia’s first innings set up a win for England, but he injured himself in the match. Although England won the Test, Anderson was ruled out of the rest of the series. Despite his absence, England won the series 3–2.

2016:

In 2016, Anderson returned from injury for the series against Pakistan. In the first innings of the first Test, Anderson took figures of 2–42 and bowled economically as Pakistan were dismissed for 523. In the second innings, he took figures of 2–30 as Pakistan were bowled out for 173, but England did not have enough time to force a win and the match finished in a draw. In the second Test, Anderson took 1–40 in the first innings, before finishing with figures of 2–22 in Pakistan’s second innings as they were dismissed for 354. However, England’s batting was unable to chase down the target and they suffered a 127-run defeat. England needed to win the final Test of the series to level it, and Pakistan were dismissed cheaply for 234 in the first innings, with Anderson taking 4–17. However, they recovered in their second innings, scoring 355, despite Anderson taking 2–52. An England second innings collapse saw Pakistan win the series 2–0.

In the South Africa series, Anderson was injured for the first Test. He returned to the side for the second Test but failed to make an impact, taking 1–77 as the match ended in a draw. In the third Test, Anderson took 1–60 in South Africa’s first innings, before taking 1–26 in their second innings as they collapsed to 83 all out to hand England a historic victory on South African soil. Anderson took his best figures of the series in the final Test, finishing with 3–47 in South Africa’s second innings, but a poor batting performance from England saw South Africa win the Test by 280 runs, although England won the series 2–1.

2017:

Anderson was named England Test vice-captain after Ben Stokes was suspended indefinitely. Stokes was arrested in the early hours of the morning following the third ODI against West Indies at Bristol in September 2017 from an incident near a night club, at which teammate Alex Hales was also present. 

Midway through the Ashes tour, England Lions batsman Ben Duckett was suspended after pouring a drink over Anderson in a Perth bar. Although coach Trevor Bayliss described the incident as trivial, coming as it did after the Stokes affair and a head-butting incident between Cameron Bancroft and Jonny Bairstow, it seemed to confirm that England had off-field issues during the 2017–18 Ashes.

Anderson played all five Test matches in the Ashes but couldn’t prevent his team losing control of the urn, with England slipping to a 4–0 series defeat. Despite the poor performance of the team as a whole, Anderson emerged with some considerable personal credit having returned figures of 17 wickets at an average of 27.82 over the Test series, including a haul of 5/43 in the 2nd innings of the day-night 2nd Test at Adelaide. He ended the tour as the top England wicket-taker in the Ashes. Over the entire series, Anderson

 bowled 198.4 overs, 53 of which were maidens, at an economy rate of 2.61 and with a strike rate of 70.1.

2018:

2018 was a remarkable year for Anderson, as he continued to excel in Test cricket. He started the year with a successful tour of New Zealand, where he took 13 wickets in two Tests, including a match-winning performance in the second Test in Christchurch, where he took 7 for 40 in the first innings. 

During the summer, Anderson became the first bowler to take 100 Test wickets at Lord’s Cricket Ground. He achieved this milestone during the second Test against India in August. Later in the summer, Anderson surpassed Glenn McGrath’s record of 563 Test wickets to become the highest wicket-taking fast bowler in Test history. He achieved this feat during the fifth Test against India at The Oval in September.

Anderson’s success continued into the winter, as he played a crucial role in England’s series win in Sri Lanka. He took 6 wickets in the first Test in Galle, including a match-winning spell of 5 for 46 in the second innings. He followed that up with 3 wickets in the second Test in Kandy, helping England secure a series victory.

Overall, Anderson took 48 wickets in 2018 at an average of 18.95, cementing his reputation as one of the greatest fast bowlers in the history of the game. His performances were crucial in England’s success during the year, and he was widely praised for his skill, fitness, and longevity.

2019:

2019 was another successful year for Anderson, despite facing some injury setbacks. He started the year with a tour of the West Indies, where he took 10 wickets in three Tests, including a match-winning performance in the second Test in Antigua, where he took 8 for 40 in the first innings.

In the Ashes series against Australia, Anderson suffered a calf injury during the first Test at Edgbaston and was ruled out for the rest of the series. Despite his absence, England managed to draw the series 2-2, with Anderson’s replacement, Jofra Archer, making a significant impact with his pace and skill.

Anderson returned to action later in the year and was included in England’s squad for the tour of South Africa. He played in the first Test in Centurion but suffered a rib injury during the match and was ruled out for the rest of the series.

Despite the injury setbacks, Anderson continued to be a key player for England whenever he was fit. His skill, experience, and ability to swing the ball made him a potent threat to opposition batsmen, and he remained one of the most feared bowlers in world cricket.

2020:

2020 was a challenging year for Anderson, as the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted the cricket calendar and limited his opportunities to play. He started the year with a tour of South Africa, where he took 8 wickets in two Tests, including a match-winning performance in the second Test in Cape Town, where he took 5 for 40 in the first innings.

In the summer, Anderson became the first fast bowler to take 600 Test wickets, achieving the milestone during the third Test against Pakistan at the Ageas Bowl in August. He finished the series as England’s highest wicket-taker, with 11 wickets in three Tests.

Anderson’s success continued into the winter, as he played a crucial role in England’s series win in Sri Lanka. He took 6 wickets in the first Test in Galle, including a match-winning spell of 5 for 46 in the second innings. He followed that up with 3 wickets in the second Test in Kandy, helping England secure a series victory.

Overall, Anderson took 48 wickets in 2020 at an average of 18.95, cementing his reputation as one of the greatest fast bowlers in the history of the game. His performances were crucial in England’s success during the year, and he was widely praised for his skill, fitness, and longevity.

2021:

In 2021, Anderson was selected for the Ashes series against Australia but had a relatively lean series, with his only highlight being 4/33 in the second test at Adelaide. Australia won the five-Test series 4–0.

2022:

In 2022, Anderson was selected for the home series against New Zealand in May. He enjoyed a relatively uneventful but consistent series, playing two out of the three Tests and being England’s fourth-highest wicket-taker, with 11 wickets at 18.63.

2023:

In 2023, Anderson was selected for four of the five tests in the Ashes series against Australia. He England managed to win the fifth test, which was Anderson’s first victory against Australia since 2015. He finished the series with 5/427 from 154 overs, which was his lowest wicket tally when playing at least four games in a series.