West Indian left-hander Nicholas Pooran, who was named as one of six hitters nominated for the upcoming international draft, may rejoin the BBL.
Pooran’s only prior BBL experience was the 2020–21 season, during which he made six appearances for the Melbourne Stars. In his second match against the Sydney Sixers, Stars lost a thrilling match by one wicket despite Pooran’s 65 off 26 balls and eight sixes.
Given his previous performance, where he smashed 137 off 55 balls in the MLC final to lift MI New York to the trophy and was followed by runs in the T20I series against India, his position on the draft list is eye-catching.
Laurie Evans, an English hitter, might return to the league after missing the last campaign with the Perth Scorchers due to a temporary suspension following a positive drug test.
Evans is now playing in the Hundred for Manchester Originals after also participating in the T20 Blast for Surrey after the suspension was removed in March. He will still have a hearing this year, though.
The previous time Nicholas Pooran played in the BBL, he turned in one outstanding inning
Being on Scorchers’ initial list from the previous season makes him eligible for retention, which gives a club one chance to stop a player from being signed by another team. Evans scored 76 off 41 balls in the championship game to play a major part in their 2021–22 Championship victory.
Following the first WBBL international draft on September 3, other players entering the draft include Alex Hales, Rilee Rossouw, Faf du Plessis, and Colin Munro.
Both Rossouw and Hales, who recently announced his retirement from international cricket, are up for re-signing with Sydney Thunder. Du Plessis received a replacement contract from the Scorchers so he could be kept after going undrafted in the second round of last year’s selection.
The opportunity to bring back left-handed pitcher Munro from New Zealand exists because he played for the Brisbane Heat last season, where he scored 278 runs at a 150.27 strike rate.
The BBL season this year, which begins on December 7, has been cut down to 43 games, but there will still likely be overlap with the SA20 and the ILT20 in the UAE, which could affect player availability.
The BBL will choose a select group of the biggest names to be the platinum picks for AUD$420,000 if they are available for the entire tournament. International players can submit nominations in three categories for the draft: gold (AUD$300,000), silver (AUD$200,000), and bronze (AUD$100,000).
Using retention picks
If a player meets any of the following requirements, they will be eligible for retention in both the WBBL and BBL overseas player drafts.
- have spent at least two seasons on a Big Bash franchise and are currently not under contract with another side.
- have participated in a Big Bash team the previous year
- was a member of the team squad from the previous season but did not make the starting 13, and has been given the Big Bash Technical Committee’s approval.
- The Big Bash Technical Committee has alternatively allowed it due to unusual circumstances.
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