MAJOR LEAGUE CRICKET, 2023
Despite having fulfilled the criteria to qualify as USA player, the former Kiwi allrounder is yet to make his national debut © Getty
One-time record holder for the fastest century in ODI cricket, Corey Anderson made his last appearance in representative cricket in a CPL game about three years back. The allrounder, who once sent Wankhede in its deepest delirium in IPL, faded away into cricketing oblivion. Watching his pyrotechnics in his first Major League Cricket game against the likes of Trent Boult and Kagiso Rabada, it felt like he never left the world stage. In a whirlwind innings, Anderson blasted an unbeaten 91 off 52 deliveries, embellishing his innings with the dismantling of Rabada, clubbing three humongous sixes in his final over.
“I still feel like I’m a similar player,” the former Kiwi allrounder said after starring in San Francisco’s 22-run win over MI New York. “I feel like I’ve still got the talent to be able to play at the top level. I haven’t really doubted that.
“There were probably periods in America when I did doubted that. Just because of lack of some of the facilities in a country like USA. Sometimes it makes it hard to keep improving your game. But yeah, I’ve always backed myself. I don’t want to sound arrogant or anything. But I’ve played against some of the best players in the world. And I’ve done at times, okay against them. And I’ve done badly at times as well.
“To do it against some of those guys, facing Trent Boult again after many years of, you know, from living with them to bowling at each other in the nets. it’s great. But yeah, I am a domestic here now, a local. Some of them probably don’t see that as being the case because I’ve played for New Zealand. But yeah, America is now my home. And I absolutely love it here. And yeah, just being part of the who spectacles is unbelievable,” the 32-year-old added.
Anderson is right in a way when he says there is a faction in US cricket community that doesn’t see him as a local. He got qualified to represent USA in February this year but was ignored for USA’s World Cup Qualifier Playoff. He was further brushed off for the recent World Cup Qualifiers in Zimbabwe. For people in the know-how of American cricket, it is not tough to comprehend why someone of the class of Anderson has been ignored for two straight USA tours.
The feud over contract negotiations between MLC and USA Cricket isn’t the world’s best kept secret. Cricbuzz understands that when being implored by a faction of the cricket community for Anderson to at least be invited for trials, a USA selector confided how Anderson’s class spoke for itself, and the man needed no trials to prove his worth. Anderson has been on MLC’s payroll as a player-cum-coach for over two years now. If one were to piece the puzzle together, it’s easy as a pie to decode why Anderson still hasn’t made his USA debut.
Anderson admitted to being emotional after watching the grand success of MLC’s opening night. He claims to feel every inch the part of the community and confessed to getting sentimental during the rendition of the national anthem and the demonstration of a huge American flag.
Anderson has fulfilled his ICC eligibility criteria and served a timely reminder of his form and fitness by performing on a day with a heat index of over 40 C. Going forward, It will be perhaps reprehensible if Anderson continued to get snubbed by USA Cricket the way he has been hitherto.
© Cricbuzz
