MLC to target James Anderson for next edition: Reports

England's all-time highest wicket-taker James Anderson could take part in the upcoming edition of Major League Cricket (MLC) according to a report on BBC. Anderson recently hinted at a return to white-ball cricket following his international retirement and one of those options could be the franchise T20 league in the USA.

According to the same report, an unnamed franchise is checking whether Anderson would consider taking up a deal for the third season of the tournament. The MLC began in 2023 with 19-game season, but the league is looking to expand to 34 games from 2025. The tournament was granted an official List A status in May. 

Anderson's last T20 game came in 2014 for Lancashire, with him dedicating the next decade to focus on red-ball cricket. He ended his career with 704 Test wickets - the third highest in the format's history. 

Some of the league's influential supporters like Microsoft chief Satya Nadella had earlier expressed their desire to get some of the top England players into the MLC. Anderson could very well be one of them.

It is understood that Anderson could earn 135,000 Pounds during the tournament. Anderson could be yet another high-profile addition to the tournament that already has Pat Cummins, Steven Smith, Glenn Maxwell and Travis Head.

Moreover, former World Cup winners Liam Plunkett and Jason Roy are also part of the tournament. Soon after his retirement, Anderson joined England's backroom staff as their fast-bowling mentor. He has expressed his desire to stick around with the team for the series against Pakistan and New Zealand later this year. 

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