BBL and WBBL Overseas Draft: Pakistan Quartet Among Star-Studded First List

The Pakistan quartet of Shaheen Shah Afridi, Shadab Khan, Haris Rauf, and Mohammad Rizwan headline the first overseas draft list for BBL 15, which was announced on Tuesday. The draft, scheduled for June 19, will see Brisbane Heat hold the coveted No. 1 pick. Joining the Pakistani stars in the initial list of ten are England’s Sam Curran and Alex Hales, New Zealand’s Lockie Ferguson and Tim Southee, Sri Lanka’s Kusal Perera, and West Indies’ Shamar Joseph. On the WBBL front, India's Shikha Pandey and Jemimah Rodrigues feature alongside Deandra Dottin (West Indies) and Fatima Sana (Pakistan), while England's Lauren Bell, Sophie Ecclestone, Heather Knight, and Danni Wyatt-Hodge, as well as South Africa's Shabnim Ismail and Chloe Tryon, round out a strong list of nominees. Cricket Australia advanced the drafts to June to give franchises greater clarity ahead of squad finalization, with over 600 overseas players registering interest. Several teams have already secured overseas signings, including Jamie Overton and Laura Wolvaardt (Adelaide Strikers), Colin Munro and Nadine de Klerk (Heat), Chris Jordan (Hobart Hurricanes), Tim Seifert and Hayley Matthews (Melbourne Renegades), Tom Curran and Marizanne Kapp (Melbourne Stars), Finn Allen and Sophie Devine (Perth Scorchers), Amelia Kerr (Sydney Sixers), and Sam Billings and Chamari Athapaththu (Sydney Thunder). Notably, the Hurricanes have yet to pre-sign a WBBL overseas player, while the Sixers are yet to confirm a BBL pre-signing. This year, Heat and Sixers will enjoy the first picks in the BBL and WBBL drafts respectively, which will feature four rounds where teams can select from Platinum, Gold, Silver, and Bronze salary bands. Each team is required to make a minimum of three picks (including pre-signed players) and is allowed to pass only once.

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