Broad says Lancashire were "pretty disrespectful" in ending Anderson's contract
Stuart Broad has said Lancashire were "pretty disrespectful" in the way they have treated James Anderson, who has been told his contract will not be renewed. Anderson, 44, is set to end a professional career of 26 years with the club, according to BBC Sport.
Broad made the remarks on the For Love of Cricket podcast. He and Anderson played together for England, and their combined total of 1,039 Test wickets in 138 matches is a record for a pair of bowlers.
The news was delivered at a meeting last week by Paul Farbrace, who is joining Lancashire as director of cricket, and by chief executive Richard Kenyon. Farbrace has decided to rebuild the squad for the future without Anderson.
Broad was blunt about how it was handled. "It was not done in the right way," he said. "I think it was disrespectful." He added that the case "shows a lack of leadership" at the club.
Anderson's record at Lancashire is still fresh. He captained the side last season and took 50 wickets in the County Championship, the main first-class competition in English county cricket. Even so, Lancashire finished second from bottom in Division Two, which is the second tier of that competition.
Lancashire announced on 24 October that Anderson would finish his playing career with the club at the end of his current contract. He had signed one-year deals ahead of the 2025 and 2026 seasons. Anderson has said he is sad about the decision, but he stopped short of announcing his retirement.
The club told members at a meeting on Monday that it would look into arranging a farewell for him. No date or format has been confirmed.
Anderson's career has already had one big goodbye. He bid farewell to Test cricket at Lord's in 2024. Broad, who retired from international cricket himself, described him then as the most complete and skilful bowler he had played alongside.
For Lancashire fans, the coming months will bring a farewell event and a new direction for the squad. For the wider game, the debate has turned to how a player with such a long record at one club should be let go, and Broad has made his view clear.
