Exciting Lineup Announced for BBL and WBBL Drafts
Overview of the Upcoming Drafts
On June 17, Cricket Australia unveiled the full roster of international players set to participate in the upcoming drafts for the Big Bash League (BBL) and Women’s Big Bash League (WBBL), scheduled for June 19.
The WBBL draft will kick off the event, followed by the BBL draft. Cricket Australia reported that over 600 players from around the globe have registered for these drafts, marking one of the most competitive selections in history.
Among the nominees for the BBL draft, there are 178 players from England, 74 from Pakistan, 42 from the West Indies, 13 from Sri Lanka, and a single player from India. Siddarth Kaul is the sole Indian representative in the BBL draft.
Notable Pakistani players in the draft include Mohammad Rizwan, seamers Shaheen Shah Afridi, Haris Rauf, and all-rounder Shadab Khan. From England, the list features Jofra Archer, Zak Crawley, Liam Livingstone, Sam Curran, Alex Hales, Dawid Malan, Jason Roy, Reece Topley, and former fast bowler James Anderson.
New Zealand's Tim Southee, Lockie Ferguson, and Kane Williamson are also included, although Williamson will only be available for three matches. Other significant nominees for the BBL include Sri Lanka's Kusal Perera, West Indies' Shamar Joseph, and Bangladesh's Mustafizur Rahman.
In the WBBL, India's Shikha Pandey, Yastika Bhatia, and Jemimah Rodrigues have been nominated. Other prominent names include West Indies all-rounder Deandra Dottin and Pakistan's Fatima Sana.
England's Lauren Bell, Sophie Ecclestone, Heather Knight, and Danni Wyatt-Hodge are also part of the draft, along with South African players Shabnim Ismail and Chloe Tryon.
This season, the Heat and Sixers will have the first picks in the BBL and WBBL drafts, respectively. Each draft consists of four rounds, with each team making one selection per round.
Teams can select players from four salary bands for foreign players: Platinum (rounds 1 or 2), Gold (rounds 2 or 3), Silver (rounds 3 or 4), and Bronze (round 4 only). Teams are permitted to pass once but must make at least three selections, including pre-signed players.