England legendary speedster James Anderson made headlines after the 42-year-old registered himself for the mega auction for the upcoming Indian Premier League 2025 which is set to take place on November 24 and 25 in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
There will be 1,574 players going under the hammer, comprising 1,165 Indian players and 409 overseas talents. Anderson who already announced his retirement from the shortest format of the game yet to make his debut in the cash-rich league. Anderson hasn't played any T20 cricket since 2014, when he appeared in a T20 Blast match for Lancashire against Warwickshire. The iconic England fast bowler has played just 19 T20Is, with his last appearance coming in 2009.
The England speedster revealed why he registered himself for the mega auction for the world's richest cricket league. He said that he have more to give as a player.
“There is still definitely something in me that thinks like I can still play. I have never done the IPL; I have never experienced it, and I think for a number of reasons I feel like I have more to give as a player,” Anderson told BBC Radio 4 Today.
Anderson already announced his retirement from the all format of international cricket. He played his farewell Test match against West Indies on July 12 at Lords.
The fast bowler, who is gradually transitioning into a mentor and coach role, believes that playing in the IPL could benefit him in the long run. For those unfamiliar, Anderson made an attempt to enter the league in 2012 but went unsold at the auction. This wasn’t entirely surprising, as he had already stopped playing T20 internationals in 2009 and had shifted his focus solely to Test cricket.
“I have done a little bit of coaching since I have finished in the summer. I have been around the England team doing a bit of mentoring or whatever you like to call it. I just think opening my eyes to something like that and experiencing it, sort of might help me grow my knowledge of the game and help further down the line,” the pacer concluded.
The auction will take place at the Abady Al Johar Arena, also known as the Benchmark Arena, and franchises will have the opportunity to fill a total of 204 available slots in their squads, with each team permitted to build a roster of up to 25 players.
