James Anderson eyes a potential return to T20 cricket after a decade - Reports
Recently retired England pacer James Anderson is considering a shock return to white-ball cricket after being encouraged by the new ball movement in The Hundred 2024. His last T20 contest was the 2014 T20 Blast final before solely adopting red-ball cricket at the backend of his career.
Despite his international retirement, Anderson has been bowling at the best of his abilities in recent times and has not parted ways from all forms of the game. He is currently serving as the England Test team's mentor in their ongoing home season, a role which is likely to come to an end after the Test series against Sri Lanka.
He has turned up for Lancashire in the County Championship to remain match-fit during the off-season for several years. His role could potentially be expanded to white-ball cricket as well, with overseas opportunities not being off the table.
“I feel there is something there, that I still want to play a little bit more. Things will become clearer as the rest of the year progresses. There’s two Test tours in the winter and I’m not sure I’ll be on them in this [mentor] role," Anderson said on the Final Word Cricket Podcast.
“I watch the Hundred and see the ball swinging around in the first 20 balls and I think: ‘I can do that, I can still do that.’ I don’t know if that is a viable option, to maybe see if I could do a job in white-ball cricket. Franchise cricket is something I’ve never done," he added.
Anderson has played 44 T20 matches in his career, picking up 41 wickets at an economy of 8.47.
"My body has at no stage started to feel like it’s 42" - James Anderson
Anderson's retirement was a topic of discussion for several years, but the pacer continued to age like fine wine. Defying age and evading injuries, he cemented his place in the English pace attack. However, he was asked to step down keeping the Ashes and the long list of emerging pacers in mind.
"I still feel [playing domestically] is not off the table. The way that my body feels, the way I have been bowling in recent years, I still feel I could potentially have something to offer on that front. My body has at no stage started to feel like it’s 42. I will dive around the tennis court and I will still dive around the field when I’m playing for Burnley CC in five years’ time, until I literally can’t move. That’s why I want to keep going. I feel I was made to bowl quickly, to be a bowler, so while it’s still functioning, use it," Anderson said in the same interaction.
“Bowling at the England lads in the nets, you have to have change-ups and slower balls. We constantly work it, so I don’t think [the skills and variations] will be an issue. But I don’t know how much people will want a 42-year-old bowler in their team so we’ll have to wait and see, " Anderson concluded.
Anderson might not be the long-term prospect that franchises desire, but they could certainly use his experience despite his lack of white-ball cricket of late.