Okay, so here’s the thing — Sam Curran, right? Awesome guy. Gonna get his shot at the Big Bash League this winter. Sydney Sixers snagged him. I’m stoked. I remember the last time he played — incredible. Seriously, this is big news for him, especially after that whole Player of the Tournament thing he snagged when England won the World T20 in Australia. That was, what, three years ago? Feels like yesterday. He’s aiming to make a splash and, who knows, might weasele back into the England squad. Only catch? Brendon McCullum hasn’t picked him yet. Fingers crossed, though.
Now, James Anderson. I mean, come on. This guy — England’s all-time wicket king. You’d think folks would be all over him. But no, not a single taker. Weird, right? And he just nailed 10 wickets in four matches in the T20 Blast. At 43! Insane. Yet here we are — cricket world surprises me again.
Oh, Jofra Archer! Surprise, surprise. Didn’t get picked. Everyone’s probably thinking he’ll be tangled up in the Ashes. Makes sense in a way, but kind of a bummer for the Big Bash lovers. Who doesn’t love watching that guy bowl?
Switching gears a bit — who else is on the roster? Luke Wood, yep. Headed to the Adelaide Strikers. His first return to the BBL since that blip in 2022-23. I’ve seen him in action at the PSL, and man, he’s been on fire lately.
Hobart Hurricanes’ move — they snagged Rehan Ahmed. That kid’s got talent coming out the wazoo, just itching to catch the selectors’ eye again. Crazy to see how fast things shift with cricket line-ups.
And Laurie Evans! Back to Perth Scorchers he goes. I remember his match-winning knock in the 2021-22 final like it was yesterday. Don’t even get me started on David Payne joining him there — savvy call for Western Australia.
Anyway — where was I? Oh, right! Lots going on with the Sydney Sixers, Brisbane Heat, Melbourne Stars re-signing people. Jafer Chohan, Tom Alsop, and Joe Clarke sticking around. Smart moves, I’d say.
Already pre-signed: Sam Billings, the Curran brother (Tom), Chris Jordan, Jamie Overton. All sticking to their teams like glue — Sydney Thunder, Melbourne Stars, Hobart Hurricanes, Adelaide Strikers. Impressive squad of Englishmen we’ve got this time, twelve in total.
Then again, not everyone’s in. Liam Livingstone and Alex Hales? Didn’t make the cut. Busy bees, I suppose, couldn’t commit fully. Even James Vince, Mr. Sixers himself, is out after seven solid seasons. Time flies.
And guess who’s filling in for him? Babar Azam! That’s right. Pakistan rosters were hotcakes this year. Sydney Sixers signed him up pre-draft. Clever move, right?
And while we’re on Pakistan, Shaheen Shah Afridi’s in with Brisbane Heat, and Mohammad Rizwan’s headed to Melbourne Renegades. Both of them trying out the Big Bash scene for the first time. Can’t wait to see them in action.
Anyway, just a random collection of thoughts from me on all this. Hope it made some kind of sense!
By Dom Harris
P.S. Worth a look: Jimmy Anderson’s Big Bash journey.
