Veteran seamer James Anderson is set to make his first appearance in The Hundred after being picked by Manchester Originals as a wildcard. At 42, Anderson becomes the second-oldest player ever named in the tournament’s history. The Originals confirmed his selection on July 15 during the wildcard draft for the 2025 edition, scheduled between August 5 and 31. Anderson, England’s all-time highest Test wicket-taker, retired from international cricket last year. Since then, the Lancashire pacer has turned his focus toward short-format leagues. Earlier in the domestic season, he returned to T20 cricket for the first time in 11 years, playing eight matches for Lancashire in the Vitality Blast and collecting 14 wickets with an economy rate below 7.75. The Originals’ squad features names like skipper Jos Buttler, Josh Tongue, Rachin Ravindra, Noor Ahmad, and Heinrich Klaasen. Anderson’s inclusion adds depth to their pace unit, while also drawing public attention to the team’s veteran-heavy bowling lineup. Read also: Boland’s Pink-Ball Hat-Trick as WI Collapse for 27 Anderson joins Klaasen, Buttler, and Noor Ahmad in Originals’ setup Manchester snapped up Anderson based on his recent domestic red-ball and T20 form. He picked 11 wickets in three County Championship matches earlier this year and had his name registered for the 2025 IPL mega auction, though he didn’t make the final list. In total, Anderson has played 52 T20 matches, all within England, and taken 55 wickets. His international T20 stint between 2007 and 2009 yielded 18 wickets from 19 matches. His reputation in white-ball cricket may be understated, but the Originals’ management believes his experience can prove crucial. The wildcard draft is a mechanism allowing teams to add unselected domestic players based on their early-season form. For Anderson, this may mark the last chapter of a career defined by longevity, discipline, and reinvention — across formats and generations. Manchester Originals full squad: Jos Buttler, Noor Ahmad, Phil Salt, James Anderson, Rachin Ravindra, Lewis Gregory, Ben McKinney, Heinrich Klaasen, George Garton, Matty Hurst, Josh Tongue, Scott Currie, Tom Hartley, Sonny Baker, Tom Aspinwall.