The 43-year-old cricketing icon, an expert in all manners of swinging balls, has been awarded the title of ‘Sir James’ following his investiture ceremony at Windsor Castle.
Anderson, the paramount fast bowler and greatest wicket-taker in the history of England cricket, was conferred the Knight Bachelor honour by the Honorable Princess Royale Anne.
This honour commemorates his outstanding contribution to the sport during an illustrious international career spanning 22 years, which transformed the game of fast bowling and made him a bedrock of the England team’s successes.
His knighthood pushes him into an elite fellowship of English cricket legends who have taken the honour, cementing his legacy possibly as this nation’s greatest ever pace exponent.
Record-Breaking Longevity
The knighthood is an appropriate tribute to a career that has spanned unprecedented time yet has been marked by true greatness in this physically unforgiving discipline of fast bowling. Anderson’s retirement from Test cricket saw him walking away with an astonishing 704 wickets from 188 Tests, thus announcing himself as the most successful fast bowler in Test cricket.
Only two other bowlers-the spin curious Sri Lankan Muttiah Muralitharan (800) and his Australian counterpart Shane Warne (708)-could claim more world wickets than Anderson.
It is staggeringly unthinkable that he played for 22 years on the national side, breaking all records for a fast bowler with undeterred commitment, fitness, and versatility to adapt to his game across various generations and conditions.
The group partnership of Broad and Anderson continued to haunt the nightmares of teams battering on in history, and England, other than the many famous victories, including a few Ashes glory, inevitably won by the duo.
Royal Recognition at Windsor
Anderson was given the honour for his services to cricket in former Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s resignation honours list, which formalizes his status within the royal elite.
The proceedings at the historic Windsor Castle were yet another glorious chapter in the already epic career story of Anderson. Upon accepting the honour, Sir James joins other contemporary greats Sir Alastair Cook and Sir Andrew Strauss.
Anderson, who also has the England record for the most ODI wickets (269), continues his connection with the game by playing for his boyhood club, Lancashire, and serving as a bowling mentor to the current England Test squad, ensuring his vast experience continues to be passed down to new generations.
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