Cricket star James Michael “Jimmy”
Anderson will appear nude on the cover of UK's gay magazine Attitude,
the AFP reported.
The 28-year-old sports figure, who
plays for the UK's Lancashire County Cricket Club, insists there is
no homophobia in the game.
“I think the game is moving with the
times,” he told the news wire. “From my point of view, I think
this could be fantastic for cricket.”
“If there are any gay cricketers,
they should feel confident enough to come out, because I don't think
there is homophobia in cricket,” he added.
Anderson and Daniella Lloyd, a fashion
model, married in 2006 and welcomed daughter Lola Rose in 2009.
Fashion photographer Ram Shergill
photographed the six-foot-two star for the October cover of Attitude,
which goes on sale September 21.
The magazine's editor, Matthew Todd,
praised Anderson for his decision, which he said would send a
“strong, playful signal that sportsmen can be comfortable with
homosexuality among team-mates and fans.”
He added that Lloyd was instrumental in
convincing her husband to appear on the cover.