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James Anderson Makes Surprise Entry Into BBL Draft As Final Players' List Gets Revealed

Soumyajit Dutta

James Anderson drafts himself for BBL 2025-26 [Source: @mufaddal_vohra/X.com]James Anderson drafts himself for BBL 2025-26 [Source: @mufaddal_vohra/X.com]

Australian fans could witness the remarkable sight of Sir James Anderson bowling in the Big Bash League this summer. The legendary 43-year-old England swing bowler, Test cricket's all-time leading wicket-taker, has nominated for BBL draft, potentially becoming the league's oldest overseas signing.

James Anderson headlines a star-studded list of over 600 international nominees revealed for the BBL and WBBL drafts. He's joined by top T20 talents including England's Jofra Archer, Pakistan's Mohammad Rizwan and Shaheen Afridi, and England all-rounder Sam Curran, whose nominations were previously confirmed.

James Anderson's Reputation At Stake After BBL Nomination

However, James Anderson's drafting isn't the most exciting thing for him right now since he went unsold in the IPL 2025 mega auction and in The Hundred too. He puts a good chunk of his reputation on stake with his nomination for the BBL draft.

Notably, the full lists, available on the Big Bash app, feature significant names. England's Zak Crawley and Liam Livingstone and New Zealand's Kane Williamson are notable inclusions. New Zealand leg-spinner Ish Sodhi offers full season and finals availability.

Can Anderson Produce The Fire In T20 Cricket Again?

Anderson's nomination is particularly intriguing. Forced out of Test cricket last year, the veteran, despite not playing T20 regularly for over a decade, is attempting a late-career reinvention. Overlooked in recent IPL and Hundred drafts, he has taken 10 wickets in four T20 Blast matches for Lancashire this season. 

If selected, the man with nearly 1,000 international wickets would become the second-oldest BBL player ever, behind only Brad Hogg (46y, 350d in 2018). His estimated age at the BBL start would be 43 years, 140 days. Notably, the drafts will be broadcast live from 4 PM AEST and 11:30 AM IST on Thursday.