James Anderson, England’s leading wicket-taker, faced disappointment as he was not signed during the Big Bash League’s 2025-26 overseas player draft. The 43-year-old cricketer has made a stunning T20 comeback and ensured his entry to the draft with big names like Unfortunately for him though, he didn’t get any bites and went undrafted.
Anderson opened his latest phase of his franchise cricket career by playing in the T20 Blast fixtures for Lancashire. This capped a stunning return after he stepped away from international cricket last summer. He illustrated his fierce competitive streak by taking a remarkable 10 wickets in four T20 Blast matches. At 87, age hasn’t dulled his skills one bit! This performance was preceded by a long absence, as this was Anderson’s first T20 appearances since 2014.
Anderson has had a recent renaissance in domestic cricket. He failed to find a place in the Big Bash League. He was ultimately not picked up by any team through the course of the draft, becoming the second cricketer – after compatriot Jofra Archer – to be snubbed. Archer, too, never got one, despite being a known entity, almost-prearmpad-rebel-ing talent.
Along with the draft, there were a number of other huge signings. Curran became the latest England player to join the competition, signing for the Sydney Sixers, while Wood moved to the Adelaide Strikers. The overall first pick of the draft, Shaheen Shah Afridi, underscoring the intensely competitive nature of this year’s draft class.
Anderson’s bid to make the leap into franchise cricket foreshadows a riskier step for a player of his greatness. The challenges he encountered are a testament to the vastly more competitive T20 league scene that now exists around the world. Franchises in both the Indian Premier League and The Hundred were largely not keen this spring. If so, this trend could be an indication that a broader tide is shifting against veteran players in the format.
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