Rejected by IPL, James Anderson begs for a spot in this league
Published - 03 Mar 2025, 07:04 PM | Updated - 03 Mar 2025, 11:39 PM
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Legendary England pacer James Anderson is all set to make his return to white-ball cricket, as he has registered for the upcoming draft of The Hundred, which is set to take place on March 12. James Anderson has not played professional cricket since his final Test against the West Indies in July 2024.
After calling time on his international career, Anderson has been working as a consultant coach for the England National Cricket Team, but he is now eager to make his mark in the franchise leagues. Even the legendary Test bowler had registered for the IPL 2025 mega auction but went unsold.
James Anderson registers for The Hundred Draft at 42
Recently, the Englishman signed a one-year contract with Lancashire, and he is also keen to play the T20 Blast for the county later this year. It has been nearly six years since Anderson last played white-ball cricket and over a decade since he featured in a T20 match.
Despite the long gap, the 42-year-old pacer is open to new opportunities, and he has reportedly registered at The Hundred Draft without setting a reserve price. Even if he goes unsold, Anderson can still find a way to play in the 100-ball tournament as a wildcard pick or as an injury replacement.
James Anderson was quoted as saying by ESPNCricinfo, “Watching the Hundred this year, seeing the ball swing around, it makes me feel like I could do a job there.”
James Anderson will script history if he gets picked for The Hundred 2025
Anderson will be 43 years old when The Hundred kicks off on August 5, meaning he will be one of the oldest players to feature in The Hundred’s history if he gets picked in the players’ draft. If selected, Anderson would be the second-oldest cricketer to play in The Hundred after South African spinner Imran Tahir, who participated in the 2022 season at the age of 43.
Earlier, Michael Hogan and Wayne Madsen also played in their 40s. Former South African captain Faf du Plessis is also set to play for Southern Brave at the age of 41. Over 300 international cricketers have signed up for The Hundred draft but only 10 spots are available across the men's teams.
Meanwhile, 14 overseas players have already been retained or directly signed by franchises. However, player availability will be a concern, as many active international cricketers will have scheduling conflicts with their national duty.
The Hundred 2025 will clash with CPL 2025
Additionally, the upcoming 100-ball tournament will see a two-week clash with the Caribbean Premier League (CPL), which means most of the West Indies players are unlikely to participate this year, so it will open the chances for many other players.
Notably, Anderson is England's highest wicket-taker in Test cricket, with 700 wickets in 187 matches at an average of 26.52. The swing master also played 194 ODIs (269 wickets) and 19 T20Is (18 wickets). He was also the first fast bowler to reach 700 Test wickets.
