Ben Lister is a tall, left-arm fast-medium bowler from New Zealand who has gained a reputation for his accuracy and ability to swing the ball, particularly in the shorter formats of the game. Hailing from Auckland, Lister has been a consistent performer for the Auckland Aces in domestic cricket since his debut in 2017. His left-arm angle and natural skill at the death make him a valuable asset, leading to his rise through the ranks to represent the Black Caps on the international stage.

Internationally, Lister has represented New Zealand in both ODIs and T20Is. He made his T20I debut against India in February 2023 and his ODI debut against Pakistan in May 2023. One of his most notable domestic achievements includes being the first-ever COVID-19 replacement in cricket history and holding an impressive List A best of 6 wickets for 51 runs for Auckland. He has nearly 200 combined wickets across first-class and List A cricket, underscoring his reliability as a frontline seamer.

The early months of 2026 have seen Lister return to the spotlight for New Zealand. On April 10th, 2026, he was officially called into the national squad for the white-ball tour of Bangladesh as an injury replacement for Kristian Clarke. This marked a significant return for Lister, who had not featured for the senior national side in over two years. Leading up to this call up, he was active in the Plunket Shield and Ford Trophy for Auckland, as well as representing New Zealand A during their tour match against Sri Lanka A in April 2026.

His franchise career has also seen him expand beyond New Zealand's shores. In 2024, he played for Nottinghamshire in the Vitality T20 Blast, where he took 8 wickets in 8 matches. He has also been involved with the San Francisco Unicorns in Major League Cricket and the Surrey Jaguars in the Global T20 Canada.