James Anderson emerges as surprise target for MLC stint

New Delhi, Sep 16 (IANS) England’s all-time leading Test wicket-taker, James Anderson, has caught the attention of Major League Cricket (MLC) as a potential recruit for its 2025 season, following recent hints at a possible return to white-ball cricket.Senior figures from at least one unnamed MLC franchise are exploring whether the 42-year-old fast-bowling legend would be interested in participating in the growing T20 tournament in the United States, reported BBC Sport.

Anderson, who retired from international cricket after amassing 704 Test wickets, recently joined the England backroom staff as a fast-bowling mentor.

However, his comments about potentially returning to white-ball cricket have piqued the interest of MLC, which has successfully attracted several high-profile names, including Australia captain Pat Cummins and stars like Steve Smith, Glenn Maxwell and Travis Head.

According to a BBC report, should Anderson sign on, he could earn around 1,35,000 euros for a short stint in the competition, which is set to expand from 19 to 34 games in 2025.

Despite his decade-long focus on red-ball cricket, Anderson has expressed confidence in his ability to still perform in the shorter format, even though his last T20 match was in 2014 for Lancashire in the T20 Blast.MLC, backed by influential figures such as Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella, has made clear its ambitions to lure top English talent to the league. World Cup winners Liam Plunkett and Jason Roy have already featured in previous editions, with Roy signing a lucrative two-year deal worth 3,00,000 euros with the Los Angeles Knight Riders.