James Anderson eyes Major League Cricket after international retirement

Legendary England pacer James Anderson, who retired from international cricket in July 2024 after an illustrious career, is now setting his sights on the Major League Cricket (MLC) in the United States. This move comes as Anderson, with 704 Test wickets to his name, seeks to re-enter the white-ball formats.

Anderson, a cornerstone of English cricket for nearly two decades, marked the end of an era with his retirement from Test cricket. However, the 42-year-old fast bowler's passion for the game remains undiminished as he explores opportunities in the T20 format.

According to a BBC Sport report, at least one MLC team has shown significant interest in Anderson, who is optimistic about making a return to white-ball cricket. The franchise is reportedly considering adding him to their roster for the third edition of the T20 tournament, scheduled for 2025.

The MLC, which began in 2023, has already seen participation from cricketing stars like Pat Cummins, Steve Smith, and Glenn Maxwell, enhancing its stature in the cricketing world. The league's expansion to 34 games in 2025 and its recent acquisition of official List A status highlight its growing significance in the global cricket calendar.

For Anderson, a stint in the MLC could be financially rewarding, with potential earnings around 135,000 euros for a short-term contract. This contrasts sharply with the ECB white-ball contract of 70,000 euros that Jason Roy relinquished to sign a 300,000 euros deal with the Los Angeles Knight Riders.

Despite not having played competitive T20 cricket since 2014, Anderson is confident in his fitness and abilities. Post-retirement, he has engaged in coaching roles, serving as England men's bowling consultant. He has also extended his contract for upcoming winter tours to 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.