Former England legend James Anderson said that he “hated every minute” of playing in The Hundred last year and would like to go on holiday during the 2026 season.
England’s all-time highest wicket-taker was picked as a Vitality Wildcard pick by Manchester Originals and played three matches in the tournament, where he picked two wickets at an economy of 10.92. The 43-year-old didn’t put his name in the auction pool this year.
Why he didn’t seek a Hundred deal this year? Anderson said: “It was a mixture of hating every minute of The Hundred last year – if I can say that. No, I wanted to experience it last year and I think it’s a great competition, but I think for me, especially being captain (of Lancashire) this year, it’s really important to focus on being as fit as I can be for the four day stuff.”
After stepping away from international cricket in 2024, Anderson returned to T20s for the first time in more than a decade last year, turning out for Lancashire in the T20 Blast. He featured in 11 matches in the 2025 season, picking up 20 wickets at an economy rate of 7.85. Lancashire made it to Finals Day but their run ended in the semifinal against Somerset.
Going into the new season, Anderson has been handed the red-ball captaincy at Lancashire, after leading the side in five matches last summer.
“I want to play in the Blast as well again,” said Anderson.
“I loved every minute of it last year. But, again, I wasn’t playing every game. We’ve got a good squad that we can that we can rotate a little bit. When The Hundred’s on, I’m hopefully going to be on holiday somewhere,” he added.
This will be Anderson’s 27th season at Lancashire, having made his debut for the county in 2000. He had signed a one-year deal with the club at the end of the 2025 season, which will extend his professional career beyond his 44th birthday.
