Cricket great Anderson leaves Lancashire after 25 years and sad how time at club has finished

MANCHESTER, England (AP) — James Anderson's 25-year stint at Lancashire is over — and the English cricket great has expressed regret at how his time at the club has come to an end.

Lancashire confirmed Sunday that it would not be offering the 44-year-old Anderson a new contract, meaning England’s all-time record wicket-taker will leave his boyhood county after making his debut in 2001 and helping it win the County Championship title in 2011.

A few minutes before Lancashire made its decision public in a statement, Anderson posted on Instagram to make clear his own feelings.

“I’ve supported Lancashire since I was a kid, and so to get to play for them for 25 years was a dream come true,” Anderson wrote.

“I have always found it special walking out to play at Old Trafford and have some incredible memories of doing so including the honour of being captain — if it was up to me it wouldn’t have ended like this, but I wish the players and fans all the best for the future.”

Anderson continued to play for Lancashire after his England career came to an end in July 2024. Last year, he took the captaincy at Old Trafford, where he has a stand named after him.

Anderson hasn't said if he will continue a cricket career in which he took 704 wickets in 188 tests — a record for a non-spinner.

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