James Anderson might have finished playing Test matches, but he hasn’t officially retired from cricket altogether. In his own words, he might still be in “denial” about his playing days, even though his England career has ended. However, Anderson, who is Test cricket’s most successful fast bowler, is thinking about a surprising comeback in limited-overs cricket.
At 42 years old, Anderson is not young, but the vast experience he has gained over the years could still be very useful.
“I might be in denial because I know I won’t play for England again, but I haven’t decided yet about my cricket career,” he told the PA news agency.
“There’s definitely some curiosity about the shorter formats because I haven’t played in any franchise leagues before. Watching The Hundred this year, seeing the ball swing around, it makes me feel like I could still contribute there,” he added.
Anderson last participated in a professional limited-overs match in 2019, which was a List A game featuring Lancashire and Hampshire. Meanwhile, his most recent T20 appearance was ten years back, in 2014, when Lancashire played against Warwickshire.
Having taken 704 wickets, Anderson announced his retirement from Test cricket last month. Rob Key, the managing director of the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB), revealed that the renowned player will now serve as a bowling mentor for the national team.
Anderson mentioned that he might continue playing cricket after the summer in England is over.
“After this summer, I’ll take some time to really think about whether I want to play cricket in any way next year. I’m open to any ideas right now, I’m still in good shape to play, and I’m not ruling out anything,” Anderson stated.
“It’s difficult to know if there will be any interest from people who want me to play in such events, so we’ll just wait and see. I know it’s been a while since I last played, and my age will be mentioned again, but I truly believe I’ll be capable of playing that type of cricket,” he further explained.
