England star James Anderson could play for Surrey in preparation for India Tests

Lancashire’s James Anderson could play a match for Surrey as the ECB consider how best to prepare him for the five-Test series against India in August and September.

On Sunday the ECB announced that England’s all-time leading wicket-taker would take a six-week break, meaning he would miss three Championship matches for Lancashire, to manage a long-standing shoulder injury ahead of the India series, which includes five Tests played in six weeks from August 1.

Anderson is centrally-contracted to the ECB, meaning they manage his workload.

Given that the T20 Blast dominates schedules in July, there is just one round of Championship action in the whole month – Lancashire face Yorkshire in the Roses match at Headingley from the 22nd, which Anderson is set to play in.

England feel Anderson needs two games before the First Test and are therefore weighing up how best to give him enough cricket ahead of the crunch series for which he will be such a key player.

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One option is to play Surrey’s three-day tour match against West Indies A at the Oval between July 16-18.

More sensible options are on the table. One is playing for England Lions in a four-day game against India A – providing similar style opposition to the Test matches – at Worcester that same week, or Lancashire are prepared to arrange a second team game for him to help him prepare.

A decision is yet to be made and it is unclear whether the ECB have a preferred option. Surrey are understood to be open to the idea of him playing for them.

There is precedent for such a move although it is likely to be met with significant resistance from Lancashire’s membership. Anderson is Lancashire through and through and is held in such regard at Old Trafford that there is an end named after him.

When struggling for form ahead of India’s visit in 2011, England’s then captain Andrew Strauss, of Middlesex, played for Somerset in a three-day tour match against India. He made a century.