The BBL and WBBL drafts are set to occur on Thursday, marking an important day for the eight clubs in each competition aiming to secure overseas talent for the upcoming 2025-26 season. Here’s a comprehensive breakdown of what you can expect.
When and How
The draft proceedings will kick off on Thursday, 19th June. The WBBL draft is scheduled to start at 4pm AEST, immediately followed by the BBL draft.
Draft Order and Process
The order in which teams pick has been decided through a weighted lottery in April, based on last season’s standings. Sydney Sixers have the first pick in the WBBL, while Brisbane Heat will pick last at number eight. Conversely, Brisbane Heat will start the BBL draft, with Sydney Thunder picking eighth. Notably, each draft has four rounds, with round one dedicated to Platinum players. Subsequent rounds also include Gold, Silver, and Bronze categories. The sequence flips in the third round, trading places between Gold and Silver picks.
Here’s how the round one WBBL order looks: 1. Sydney Sixers, 2. Adelaide Strikers, 3. Melbourne Stars, 4. Perth Scorchers, 5. Hobart Hurricanes, 6. Sydney Thunder, 7. Melbourne Renegades, 8. Brisbane Heat.
The BBL order is as follows: 1. Brisbane Heat, 2. Adelaide Strikers, 3. Melbourne Renegades, 4. Perth Scorchers, 5. Hobart Hurricanes, 6. Sydney Sixers, 7. Melbourne Stars, 8. Sydney Thunder.
A standout trade between the Thunder and Scorchers will see altered picks during the second and third rounds of the BBL draft.
Draft Mechanics and Strategies
Each team is required to draft at least two overseas players, supplementary to any pre-signed individuals. Teams are allowed to pass in only one draft round. This reflects a modification introduced previously that grants clubs the ability to pre-sign a player under multi-year agreements. The clubs have largely taken up this option ahead of the draft.
Teams will disclose the round designation for their pre-signed players based on their contracts. Not all players are set to the highest-paid Platinum category; last year, Melbourne Renegades identified Tim Seifert outside this band. Similarly, Nadine de Klerk of Brisbane Heat was on a lower contract tier in the WBBL.
An option exists for teams to sign a fourth overseas player during the draft classed as a ‘replacement player.’ Teams can field a maximum of three overseas players within their match day XI. Post-draft, replacement players must come from the draft pool unless special approval is granted by the tournament’s technical committee.
Pre-signed Overseas Players
Here’s the full list of pre-signed talent:
– Adelaide Strikers: Laura Wolvaardt, Jamie Overton
– Brisbane Heat: Nadine de Klerk, Colin Munro
– Hobart Hurricanes: To be confirmed (TBC), Chris Jordan
– Melbourne Renegades: Hayley Matthews, Tim Seifert
– Melbourne Stars: Marizanne Kapp, Tom Curran
– Perth Scorchers: Sophie Devine, Finn Allen
– Sydney Sixers: Amelia Kerr, Babar Azam
– Sydney Thunder: Chamari Athapaththu, Sam Billings
Notable Draft Nominations
Among the noteworthy overseas nominees for the BBL draft are Pakistan’s Shaheen Shah Afridi, Shadab Khan, Haris Rauf, and Mohammad Rizwan. Additionally, England’s Jofra Archer, James Anderson, Zak Crawley, Liam Livingstone, Sam Curran, and Alex Hales have also thrown their hats in the ring.
With the stage set, teams will soon navigate this crucial aspect of team building, balancing the acquisition of top-tier talent with strategic foresight.
