Veteran England bowler James Anderson has signed for Surrey for the 2027 season, extending his professional career beyond his 45th birthday. The 44-year-old seamer joins The Oval club following his departure from Lancashire, the county where he first played professionally 25 years ago and captained for two seasons, claiming 50 championship wickets in the 2026 campaign.
Anderson, who turns 45 in July 2027, was released by Lancashire in a squad rebuild led by new director of cricket Paul Farbrace after the team finished second-bottom of County Championship Division Two. Speaking on a special episode of his Tailenders podcast, Anderson admitted he felt sadness and shock at his exit from Lancashire, but took several weeks to make a calm decision. He agreed a red-ball only deal with Surrey after talks with director of cricket Alec Stewart, with whom he made his international debut in 2003.
Surrey director of cricket Alec Stewart stated that Anderson still proves he is one of the best bowlers in the country through his recent wicket-taking record and will bring valuable experience to a squad with international aspirations. Surrey won the County Championship in 2022, 2023, and 2024, but struggled in 2026 amid injuries to their seam attack, which also features England centrally contracted pacers Gus Atkinson, Matthew Fisher, and Henry Crocombe. Anderson stated he is not joining Surrey for a farewell tour and remains uncertain how many matches he will play in the strong squad, though he could potentially continue playing beyond the 2027 season.