James Michael Anderson (born 30 July 1982) is an English international cricketer who plays for the England Test cricket team, and previously played for England's limited overs cricket teams. In domestic cricket, he represents Lancashire County Cricket Club. Anderson was a member of the England team that won the 2010 ICC World Twenty20.
He is regarded as one of the greatest swing bowlers in the history of cricket, and has taken over 1100 first-class wickets.
Anderson made his Test debut in 2003, played for England's One-Day International (ODI) team between 2002 and 2015, and played for England's Twenty20 International (T20I) team between 2007 and 2009. On the occasion of England's 1,000th Test in 2018, Anderson was named in the country's greatest all-time Test XI by the England and Wales Cricket Board. As of July 2023, he is ranked as the number four Test bowler in the world in the ICC Men's Player Rankings.
Anderson plays as a right-arm fast-medium bowler. Among fast bowlers, he is the leading Test wicket-taker of all-time, being the first fast bowler to have taken 600 or more Test wickets, and is England's record Test wicket-taker. He 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 ODIs with 269. As a batsman, he and Joe Root hold the world record for highest tenth-wicket stand in Tests (198).
Early and personal life
James Anderson was a pupil at St Mary's and St Theodore's RC High School, Burnley. He played cricket at Burnley Cricket Club from a young age. His childhood dream was to be a cricketer, and at the age of 17, after a growth spurt, Anderson was one of the fastest bowlers in the Lancashire League. He stated that "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 is a keen football fan who supports his local club Burnley.
Just months after his debut he had become one of the biggest stars in English cricket. Continuous alteration of hair styles, attractive looks, and up-to-the-minute outfits earned him comparisons with some of the most recognisable sports personalities around, including David Beckham. In 2006 he married Daniella Lloyd, a model he met in 2004 while on England duty in London; he stated that marriage has made him "a much happier person". The couple have two children.
Fashion design
Anderson has ventured into fashion design since 2012, designing for Elvis Jesus with proceeds of the sale going to his sponsored charity, Nordoff-Robbins. Anderson also agreed to be the face of British hair styling brand Hairbond in June 2013 In April 2014, he launched his first collection with London-based menswear brand, Chess London. He has stated that he would like to be "the first cricketer to become a designer". He launched his own menswear brand in late October 2014, and has been working in conjunction with British watchmaker Harold Pinchbeck to release a watch in 2015.
Media
Anderson became the first cricketer to model naked for Attitude, "Britain's biggest-selling gay magazine", in September 2010. He stated "if there are any gay cricketers they should feel confident enough to come out because I don't think there is any homophobia in cricket".
Domestic career
Anderson made his competitive debut for the Lancashire Cricket Board in a List A one-day match against Suffolk in the 2000 NatWest Trophy, where he claimed the wicket of Russell Catley as his first competitive wicket. Anderson later made his first-class debut for Lancashire in 2002; he played 13 matches and took 50 wickets at an average of 22.28, including three five-wicket hauls. He took his maiden first-class wicket in May 2002, dismissing Ian Ward. He was awarded the NBC Denis Compton Award for Lancashire's most promising young County player in the 2002 season. In 2003, Anderson became the youngest player to take a hat-trick for Lancashire, just a week before his Test match debut against Zimbabwe; it was the first hat-trick at Old Trafford in eight years. In a match against Worcestershire in May 2004, Anderson recorded his maiden first-class ten-wicket haul.
2005 was Anderson's first full season for Lancashire. He was propelled into the England side soon after his Lancashire debut and had returned to rediscover his form after winter tours with England where he had spent most of his time on the sidelines, and when given a chance for England he often bowled poorly due to a lack of match practice. He finished the season with 60 first-class wickets at an average of 30.21 and 27 one day wickets at an average of 22.00.