The initial list for the BBL’s 15th season draft was announced on Tuesday, featuring four prominent Pakistani cricketers: Shaheen Shah Afridi, Shadab Khan, Haris Rauf, and Mohammad Rizwan. This draft is scheduled for 19th June, with Brisbane Heat having the coveted first choice.
Joining them in the draft are England’s Sam Curran and Alex Hales, New Zealand’s Lockie Ferguson and Tim Southee, Sri Lanka’s Kusal Perera, and Shamar Joseph from the West Indies.
On the women’s side, Indian cricketers Shikha Pandey and Jemimah Rodrigues headline the WBBL draft nominations. They will be joined by Deandra Dottin of the West Indies and Pakistan’s Fatima Sana. England’s Lauren Bell, Sophie Ecclestone, Heather Knight, and Danni Wyatt-Hodge, along with Shabnim Ismail and Chloe Tryon from South Africa, also make the list.
Cricket Australia stated the drafts were moved to June to offer teams greater certainty in player selection, with over 600 overseas players expressing interest.
Several teams have already secured players for the upcoming seasons. Jamie Overton and Laura Wolvaardt are signed with Adelaide Strikers; Colin Munro and Nadine de Klerk with Brisbane Heat; Chris Jordan has joined Hobart Hurricanes; Melbourne Renegades have signed Tim Seifert and Hayley Matthews; Melbourne Stars have added Tom Curran and Marizanne Kapp; Perth Scorchers have brought in Finn Allen and Sophie Devine; Sydney Sixers have secured Amelia Kerr; and Sydney Thunder have pre-signed Sam Billings and Chamari Athapaththu.
This year, the Heat and Sixers will make the first picks in the BBL and WBBL drafts respectively. Each draft consists of four rounds, allowing one pick per team each round. Players are available in four salary bands: Platinum, Gold, Silver, and Bronze, with the team strategies likely influencing their selections.
