The announcement came just a few days after seamer Anderson’s 25-year stint with Lancashire came to an end, leaving the playing future of England’s all-time leading wicket-taker uncertain. The Italia T10 named the 44-year-old Anderson and former Lancashire wicketkeeper Luke Sutton as co-owners of Napoli Knights, which will be owned by Activate Sport & Leisure, a British talent management and sports consulting agency. England cricket great James Anderson is the new co-owner of a Naples-based franchise in the inaugural Italia T10 League, which is set to launch next month.
England cricket great James Anderson is the new co-owner of a Naples-based franchise in the inaugural Italia T10 League, which is set to launch next month
The sport has long remained a minority pursuit in the country, but interest was piqued when the national team qualified for the T20 World Cup earlier this year for the first time and beat Nepal by 10 wickets in a group-stage match. The Italia T10, which is scheduled to run from November 18 to 29 and feature six teams, has been founded by Apex T10 Limited, a company owned by former Essex and Surrey batter Nadeem Shahid.
“Cricket has given me so much throughout my career, and the opportunity to be involved in the game in a completely different way is something I’m really excited about,” Anderson said. “I played against Jimmy and Luke enough times to know how competitive they are, so having them as owners of the Napoli Knights is a massive statement for Italia T10,” Shahid said. “Having spent so much of our lives involved in cricket, Jimmy and I see this as a fantastic opportunity to be part of something new and ambitious and to help grow the game in an emerging cricket nation,” Sutton said.
“Luke and I have a close history, so taking on this new challenge together is particularly special. The Italia T10 is an exciting concept, and there’s a huge opportunity to help raise the profile of cricket in Italy while bringing together some fantastic players and creating an entertaining tournament. Anderson and Sutton add to the English influence on cricket in Italy.
