James Anderson is the new co-owner of Napoli Knights in Italia T10 Cricket League
File Photo: James Anderson’s cricketing experience will be valuable to his new team, the Napoli Knights, and to Italy’s growth in cricket. | Photo Credit: Getty
File Photo: James Anderson’s cricketing experience will be valuable to his new team, the Napoli Knights, and to Italy’s growth in cricket. | Photo Credit: Getty
England cricket great James Anderson is the new co-owner of a Naples-based franchise in the inaugural Italia T10 League launching next month.
The announcement came just a few days after seam bowler Anderson’s 25-year stint at Lancashire ended, leaving the future of England’s all-time leading wicket-taker uncertain.
The Italia T10 named 44-year-old Anderson and former Lancashire wicketkeeper Luke Sutton as co-owners of Napoli Knights, which will be owned by Activate Sport & Leisure.
“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.
“Luke and I have a close history, so to be 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 added.
Anderson and Sutton add to the English influence on cricket in Italy. It has long been a minority sport 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 game.
The Italia T10, due to run Nov. 18-29 and containing six teams, has been founded by Apex T10 Limited, a company owned by former Essex and Surrey batter Nadeem Shahid.
“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,” said Shahid.
Sutton runs Activate Sport & Leisure and managed Anderson earlier in his career. They also overlapped at Lancashire from 2006-10.
“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,” said Sutton.
“For Activate Sport & Leisure, this is about much more than owning a cricket franchise. We want to use our experience in sports development, together with our established relationships with schools and clubs in England, to help create a lasting legacy for cricket in Italy,” Sutton added.
Published on Oct 28, 2026
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