James Anderson eyes potential return to white-ball cricket

Former fast bowler James Anderson is considering a return to white-ball cricket after retiring from Test cricket last month during the series against West Indies.

Anderson retired with 704 wickets in Test cricket, making him the only fast bowler in history to achieve 700 or more wickets in Tests.

Just a month after his retirement, Anderson has shown interest in playing in The Hundred, a short-format cricket tournament in England. He believes that England’s conditions, which favor fast and swing bowlers, might suit his skills.

“There’s a bit of curiosity about the shorter formats since I’ve never played in franchise leagues before. Watching The Hundred this year and seeing the ball swing around made me think I could still do well,” Anderson said on the Final Word Cricket Podcast.

“I might be in a bit of denial because I know I won’t play for England again, but I haven’t made a final decision about my cricket career.”

Anderson last played a white-ball match in March 2015 against Afghanistan in Sydney and has focused on Test cricket since then. Now, at 42 years old, he is thinking about playing T20 cricket.

“Once this summer is over, I’ll sit down and decide if I want to play cricket in some form next year. I’m open to the idea of playing any kind of cricket since I’m still fit enough and haven’t ruled anything out,” he added.

“It’s hard to know if teams will be interested in a 42-year-old bowler, but I believe I can still perform well. I regularly practice different bowling techniques with the England team, so I’m confident in my abilities. But we’ll have to wait and see if anyone wants me on their team.”