42-year-old fast bowler James Anderson will feature in England’s premier T20 competition, The Hundred, for the first time in his career. Manchester Originals selected him in the wildcard draft on Tuesday, 15 July. Should he take the field this season, Anderson will become the second-oldest player ever to appear in The Hundred, which is scheduled to run from 5 August to 31 August.
Anderson will join forces with Jos Buttler at Manchester Originals, a squad that also includes England Test bowler Josh Tongue, as well as overseas stars Heinrich Klaasen, Noor Ahmad, and Rachin Ravindra.
Earlier this year, Anderson ended an 11-year wait for a T20 appearance when he featured in eight matches for Lancashire in the T20 Blast. He impressed with the ball, taking 14 wickets at an economy rate of under 7.75 runs per over.
Since retiring from international cricket last year, Anderson has been seeking opportunities in franchise-based T20 leagues. The veteran pacer even entered the 2025 Indian Premier League mega auction. Although his name featured on the longlist, he was not included in the final shortlist.
Anderson has played a total of 52 T20 matches, all within England, and has taken 55 wickets in the format. He represented England in 19 T20 Internationals between 2007 and 2009, claiming 18 wickets.
The legendary fast bowler was also in good form during the County Championship, where he picked up 11 wickets in three matches for Lancashire. Anderson retired as England’s all-time leading wicket-taker, finishing his career with 704 wickets in 188 Tests and 269 wickets in 194 One Day Internationals.
