Fit-again Anderson eyes IPL

The England fast bowler and team-mate Stuart Broad memorably put Ashes ambition before cash when they released a joint statement last December to confirm they would not be available for the IPL this year. The 27-year-old Lancashire seamer's decision was made more straightforward by the fact he was nursing a knee injury which required three injections on a tough tour of South Africa and ruled him out of the subsequent trip to Bangladesh. However, having watched from afar over the past two weeks as many of the world's best players delight huge crowds in India, Anderson acknowledges he would love to join them one day. "I'd probably like to play in the future, if I'm being honest," he said. "It's a great tournament." Anderson has been influenced by the glowing reports of a clutch of his fellow England players, including Kevin Pietersen and Twenty20 captain Paul Collingwood, who already have IPL contracts. He also believes the ever-increasing amount of Twenty20 international cricket – England are due to pick their final 15-man squad on Tuesday to fly to the Caribbean next month for a second ICC tournament in less than a year – means there is much to be gained by playing against the best in the IPL. "The more Twenty20 cricket we play as an international team, the more experience you can get the better, and playing in tournaments like that you can get a lot of experience," Anderson added. "It's a huge spectacle, with a huge crowd and a real buzz around the whole game. "It looks like it would be brilliant to be part of. All the players who have gone from England have said that." Anderson has no regrets about sitting out this year's tournament, though, because he knew all along the injury in his right knee needed plenty of rest. "The biggest thing that helped me make my mind up was the fact that I had an injury, and we have the Ashes at the end of the year," he said. "With the hectic schedule we just don't want to be cluttering it up with extra fixtures." Anderson also had to miss England's success in Bangladesh, but feels fit enough to start the new season for Lancashire against Durham UCCE next weekend. He is looking forward to a full international summer featuring Tests and one-day internationals against Bangladesh, Australia and Pakistan, with the Ashes and World Cup to come next winter. "There wasn't really much of an option, especially with the 12 months we've got coming up," he said. "It's a huge 12 months, a busy summer, which could be quite a tricky one as well. "Bangladesh aren't the worst team in the world any more. They're a very talented side, so we've got to be careful of them. "We'll have to get our heads down, try to work hard through the summer and then obviously the Ashes is the end goal later in the year."