Pakistan star cricketers register themselves in BBL draft for upcoming season

Four of Pakistan's top cricket players, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Mohammad Rizwan, Haris Rauf, and Shadab Khan, have officially entered the overseas draft for the June 19 Big Bash League (BBL) Season 15. Due to a gap in Pakistan's international schedule between November and February, these players are available for the entire season and finals, making them highly sought-after additions to BBL teams.

Brisbane Heat hold the No. 1 pick in this year’s draft, followed by Adelaide Strikers, who are reportedly keen on adding a quality fast bowler to their ranks. Shaheen Afridi, one of the world’s leading T20 pacers, is expected to draw major interest, although competition for all four Pakistani stars is expected to be fierce.

They join a competitive list of international players which includes England’s Sam Curran and Alex Hales, New Zealand’s Lockie Ferguson and Tim Southee, Sri Lanka’s Kusal Perera, and West Indies pace sensation Shamar Joseph. All ten players in the first draft release are eligible for the finals, with most available for a majority of the league matches.

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WBBL Draft Welcomes Fatima Sana as Big Bash Leagues See Record Overseas Interest

In the Women’s Big Bash League (WBBL) draft, Pakistan women’s team captain Fatima Sana is also in the running, alongside other international stars such as India’s Jemimah Rodrigues and Shikha Pandey, England’s Heather Knight, Sophie Ecclestone, and Danni Wyatt-Hodge, South Africa’s Shabnim Ismail and Chloe Tryon, and West Indies’ Deandra Dottin.

BBL General Manager Alistair Dobson welcomed the flood of nominations, noting that over 600 overseas players have registered for the BBL and WBBL drafts combined. He emphasized the league’s global appeal, saying, “The presence of global icons like Shaheen Afridi, Rizwan, and Ecclestone speaks volumes about the Big Bash’s growing stature in world cricket.”

The drafts for both BBL and WBBL will be broadcast live on June 19 across 7mate, 7Plus, Foxtel, and Kayo, with four rounds of selections and multiple salary bands to shape the upcoming season’s rosters.