James Anderson receives knighthood, joins elite club of English cricket icons

LONDON: England’s legendary seamer James Anderson on Tuesday has been knighted for his outstanding contributions to the England cricket team, capping an illustrious 22-year international career with 704 Test wickets, the most by a fast bowler in Test history.

With his knighthood, Anderson joins an elite club of English cricket legends, including Sir Ian Botham, Sir Geoffrey Boycott, Sir Alastair Cook, and Sir Andrew Strauss, cementing his status as one of the country’s greatest cricketers.

In an X post, Lancashire Cricket wrote, “Arise, Sir James Anderson! A special day for @jimmy9 as he received his knighthood from Princess Anne at Windsor Castle! The greatest fast bowler to ever do it”.

Arise, Sir James Anderson!

A special day for @jimmy9 as he received his knighthood from Princess Anne at Windsor Castle!

The greatest fast bowler to ever do it.

#RedRoseTogether pic.twitter.com/4H9MmTcQsk

— Lancashire Cricket (@lancscricket) October 28, 2025

Anderson remains England’s leading wicket-taker in ODI cricket, with a tally of 269 scalps that may never be beaten. However, he claimed just 18 in his 19 T20Is, with his last match in the format coming against South Africa at Centurion in 2009.

The seasoned pacer has dominated red-ball cricket with his mastery of both swing and reverse swing. He made his debut in the Test format against Zimbabwe at The Lord’s, and he will bid farewell to fans as a player at the same venue.

His 6/17 against Pakistan in the first Test in 2010 at Trent Bridge still echoes the prowess of his remarkable career. He left Pakistan batters Salman Butt, Shoaib Malik, Azhar Ali, and many more players speechless.

After making his debut at the Lord’s in 2003, Anderson ended his illustrious career with 704 Test wickets behind the iconic spin duo Muttiah Muralitharan (800) and Shane Warne (708). (ANI)