Major League Cricket franchise targeting James Anderson for next season

Legendary England pacer, James Anderson, is potentially targeting the Major League Cricket (MLC) in the United States. This development comes after Anderson's recent retirement from international cricket and his interest in returning to white-ball formats.

Anderson, who hung up his international boots in July 2024 after claiming an impressive 704 Test wickets, has been a key player of English cricket for nearly two decades. His retirement marked the end of an era in Test cricket, but the 42-year-old fast bowler might not be done with the sport just yet.

According to a BBC Sport report, at least one MLC team has shown keen interest in Anderson following his optimism about a potential return to white-ball cricket. The franchise is reportedly exploring the possibility of bringing the pacer on board for the third edition of the T20 tournament in 2025.

Notably, the MLC, launched in 2023, has already attracted several high-profile cricketers. Australian stars like Pat Cummins, Steve Smith, and Glenn Maxwell have participated in the league, lending it significant credibility. The tournament's expansion to 34 games in 2025 and its recent acquisition of official List A status shows its growing importance in the global cricket calendar.

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I'm due to go to Pakistan and New Zealand in winter: James Anderson

For the former, a stint in the MLC could prove lucrative, with potential earnings of around 135,000 euros for a short period. This figure is particularly noteworthy when compared to the ECB white-ball contract of 70,000 euros that Jason Roy turned over to sign a 300,000 euros deal with the Los Angeles Knight Riders.

Despite not having played competitive T20 cricket since 2014, Anderson believes he is still fit enough and good enough to compete in the format. Meanwhile, since his retirement, the pacer engaged himself in coaching the national team as England men's bowling consultant. He also extended his contract for the upcoming winter tours of Pakistan and New Zealand.

"At the minute, I'm due to go to Pakistan and New Zealand in the winter. Then nothing concrete after that. I'm very new to this, I'm still learning as we go. It's partly me trying to figure out if this is where I want to go with the next stage of my career and also for them to figure out if I'm any good at it as well," Anderson told Sky Sports.