He may not have played a T20 match for nearly 10 years but James Anderson is not downplaying the possibility of a return to white-ball cricket at 42, a month after he brought down the curtains on his legendary Test career.
Still in ‘denial’ after his 188-Test career came to a halt at Lord’s against West Indies in July, Anderson says he is not done with his playing days and may look for a brief foray back to white-ball cricket. Anderson, who took up a stint as a bowling mentor for the English Test side might not been seen in the role after the upcoming home series against Sri Lanka.
“I might be in a bit of denial because I’m well aware I won’t play for England again, but I’ve still not made a decision on my actual cricket career,” Anderson told The Press Association.
“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 elaborated on The Final Word podcast.
“I still feel [playing domestically] is not off the table. The way that my body feels, the way I have been bowling in recent years, I still feel I could potentially have something to offer on that front,” Anderson added.
Anderson last featured in a T20 in August 2014 for Lancashire before nearly serving out a decade exclusively for red-ball cricket. Anderson picked up 18 wickets in his 19-match T20I career. He also not featured in a List A game since 2019 and last played for England at the 2015 ODI World Cup.
Besides retiring as their most prolific Test bowler, Anderson also finished as the highest wicket-taker for England in ODIs with 269 scalps from 194 appearances.