Anderson touted as target for Americans

Injury-plagued former Black Cap Corey Anderson could one day represent the United States in international cricket.

Leading cricket website Cricinfo has reported the drawcard of holding ODI status is spurring an ambitious recruitment drive by USA Cricket that could lead to it fielding active internationals from around the world.

Anderson, who last played for New Zealand in a T20 against Pakistan in November 2018, is among those at the top of USA Cricket’s list. He has an American fiance´e Mary Shamburger and spent most of the Covid-19 pandemic in Texas, where Shamburger is based.

Former Pakistan test opener Sami Aslam has been mentioned as another target. Aslam has played 13 tests and four ODIs, the last in 2017.

Attempts have also been made to recruit England 2019 World Cup winner Liam Plunkett, whose wife is from Pennsylvania.

Anderson would need to complete three years residency to be eligible for the US and switch allegiance, as South-African born Devon Conway has done with the Black Caps.

He has been discussed as a potential marquee player for the US Major League T20 franchise based in Dallas, which will begin in 2022.

The United States made its international tournament debut at the 1979 ICC Trophy in England.

‘‘We want to win cricket games. We want to qualify for World T20s, we want to qualify for World Cups. We want to win cricket matches,’’ USA Cricket CEO Iain Higgins told Cricinfo earlier this year.