Retired Test star eyes shocking return to T20 cricket after a decade-long absence
Former England cricketer James Anderson is already aiming to foray into another format of cricket after being retired from his national side in Test cricket in the first Test match against the West Indies in the last month. The right-arm pacer has revealed his ambitions to play in the shortest format of the game—the thing he hasn't done in his entire cricket career—which is to play in the T20 leagues.
The 42-year-old cricketer said that he could enter the T20s in the future, keeping in mind his role as a mentor with the England cricket team. The right-arm pacer said that he was inspired to do so after watching the bowlers execute to perfection with the new ball in the ongoing Men's Hundred Tournament 2024.
Jimmy Anderson revealed that he wants to play a little bit more cricket. He revealed that he got inspiration from the Hundred 2024—the way the first 20 balls swing, which he feels that he can also do.
Franchise cricket is something I’ve never done: James Anderson
“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. 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," Anderson said on the Final Word Cricket Podcast.
The SA20 and Big Bash League are the perfect options for the former England pacer if he aims to mark his return to franchise cricket. Meanwhile, it is also clear that the star seamer wants to stay on the national side as a mentor in the upcoming future to boost the pace attack of the Three Lions.
At the age of 42, he feels that he can still continue to play, noting that his body is not feeling that old to push him to retire from the game. The Lancashire-born cricketer signed off from international cricket with 704 Test wickets from 188 games and received an apt farewell at the iconic Lords Cricket Stadium.
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