James Anderson is set to be knighted in recognition of his exceptional 21-year career with England, after being named in former UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s resignation honours list.
The 42-year-old fast bowler retired from international cricket last year, ending his Test career with a national record of 704 wickets in 188 matches—the most by any fast bowler in history and second overall behind Sachin Tendulkar in Test appearances. Anderson’s final match for England came at Lord’s against the West Indies in July 2024, two decades after he made his debut at the same venue in 2003.
While he hasn’t featured in white-ball cricket for England since 2015, Anderson remains the country’s highest wicket-taker in ODIs with 269 scalps, and he added another 18 wickets in T20Is. In total, he finished with 991 international wickets—just nine short of the 1,000 mark.
Despite stepping away from international duty, Anderson has not yet retired from professional cricket. He is currently recovering from a calf injury but is expected to turn out for Lancashire in multiple formats this summer. Should he return, he would follow in the footsteps of former England captain Sir Alastair Cook, who continued to play for Essex after receiving his knighthood in 2019.
Reacting to the news, ECB chair Richard Thompson said:
“Congratulations Sir Jimmy Anderson. This is a richly deserved honour for an England legend who has contributed immensely to our sport. Jimmy’s achievements—from winning four Ashes series to becoming England’s all-time leading wicket-taker—have inspired generations of fans and cricketers across the globe.”
Sunak, known for his passion for cricket, had a memorable encounter with Anderson in April 2023, facing him in the nets at The Oval while announcing a £35 million investment in grassroots cricket. The former Prime Minister’s honours list includes five other knighthoods—four awarded to his former cabinet ministers James Cleverley, Jeremy Hunt, Grant Shapps, and Mel Stride, and one to filmmaker Matthew Vaughn.
Anderson’s knighthood had long been anticipated. Former captain Andrew Strauss, who received the same honour in 2019, expressed support for the recognition, saying ahead of Anderson’s final Test:
“Absolutely. Any fast bowler who plays 188 Tests deserves a knighthood, plain and simple.”
Anderson becomes the second cricketer in recent years to receive a knighthood from a departing Conservative Prime Minister. In 2019, Theresa May awarded the honour to Geoffrey Boycott—a decision that sparked controversy due to Boycott’s 1998 domestic assault conviction in France.
