Star-Studded Overseas Players Set for BBL and WBBL Drafts
Exciting Lineup for Upcoming BBL and WBBL Drafts
On Tuesday, Cricket Australia unveiled the full roster of international players who have registered for the forthcoming Big Bash League (BBL) and Women’s Big Bash League (WBBL) drafts, scheduled for June 19. The WBBL draft will kick off the event, followed by the BBL draft.
More than 600 players from around the globe have put their names forward for the BBL and WBBL drafts, marking one of the most competitive selections ever. Among the nominees, 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 player nominated for the BBL draft.
Included in the first overseas draft list from Pakistan are Mohammad Rizwan, seamers Shaheen Shah Afridi, Haris Rauf, and all-rounder Shadab Khan. England's lineup 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 among the nominees, although Williamson will only be available for three matches.
Other prominent 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, alongside notable players like West Indies' 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 pick in the BBL and WBBL drafts, respectively. Each draft consists of four rounds, allowing each team to make one selection per round.
Teams can select players from four different salary bands for foreign players: Platinum (rounds 1 or 2), Gold (rounds 2 or 3), Silver (rounds 3 or 4), or Bronze (round 4 only). Teams are permitted to pass once but must make at least three selections, including pre-signed players.