England stars dominate with 14 picks in BBL 2024 draft; Usama Mir sole Pakistani cricketer selected

The Player drafts for Australia’s Big Bash League (BBL) and Women’s Big Bash League (WBBL) concluded on September 1. Teams showed high demand for English cricketers, picking 14 of them, while Usama Mir from Pakistan and Rishad Hossain from Bangladesh were the only Asian players selected.

The Big Bash League has become a major T20 tournament in Australia since its inception in 2011. However, the tournament has slipped down the pecking order a bit over the years. The upcoming edition of the BBL tournament will commence on December 15, with the final set for January 27.

England Opener Ben Duckett No.1 Pick In BBL Draft

England opener Ben Duckett was selected as the No. 1 pick in the overseas player draft for this summer's Big Bash League. Duckett is currently playing for England in the Test series against Sri Lanka. The left-handed batter will join the Melbourne Stars franchise on a platinum contract.

Sydney Sixers retained James Vince as their pick in the player draft. Vince stayed with the Sixers despite the Melbourne Renegades attempting to sign him.

The Melbourne Renegades selected Laurie Evans, and Sydney Thunder picked New Zealand fast bowler Lockie Ferguson.

Shai Hope joined the Hobart Hurricanes for the upcoming season, while Jamie Overton was picked by the Adelaide Strikers. The Brisbane Heat and Perth Scorchers retained their pre-signed players, Colin Munro and Finn Allen, respectively.

Usama Mir Sole Pakistan Player Selected In BBL Draft

In the second round of the draft, the Melbourne Stars picked Tom Curran. The Renegades selected England all-rounder Jacob Bethell. Other pre-signed players are Ollie Pope by the Adelaide Strikers, Chris Jordan by the Hurricanes, Sam Billings by the Sydney Thunder, and Akeal Hosein by the Sixers.

In the third round of the draft, the Adelaide Strikers picked West Indian Fabian Allen, while the Hobart Hurricanes passed. The Sydney Thunder selected West Indian Sherfane Rutherford, the Melbourne Renegades chose their pre-signed player, Tim Seifert, and the Melbourne Stars picked Usama Mir.

In the fourth round of the draft, the Hobart Hurricanes selected Bangladeshi legspinner Rishad Hossain with their final pick. The Brisbane Heat picked Tom Alsop. Perth Scorchers signed Keaton Jennings, and the Sydney Sixers picked Jafer Chohan as their last pick of the draft for the BBL 2024-25.

First-round picks in BBL draft: Ben Duckett - Melbourne Stars, James Vince - Sydney Sixers (Retention), Laurie Evans - Melbourne Renegades, Lockie Ferguson - Sydney Thunder, Shai Hope - Hobart Hurricanes, Jamie Overton - Adelaide Strikers (Retention), Colin Munro - Brisbane Heat (pre-signed player), Finn Allen - Perth Scorchers (pre-signed player)

Second-round picks: Tom Curran - Melbourne Stars (pre-signed player), Jacob Bethell - Melbourne Renegades, Ollie Pope - Adelaide Strikers (pre-signed player), Hobart Hurricanes - Chris Jordan (pre-signed player), Sam Billings - Sydney Thunder (pre-signed player), Paul Walter - Brisbane Heat, Passed - Perth Scorchers, Akeal Hosein - Sydney Sixers (pre-signed player)

Third-round picks: Matthew Hurst - Perth Scorchers, Fabian Allen - Adelaide Strikers, Sherfane Rutherford - Sydney Thunder, Tim Seifert - Melbourne Renegades (pre-signed player), Usama Mir - Melbourne Stars

Fourth-round picks: Rishad Hossain - Hobart Hurricanes, Brisbane Heat - Tom Alsop, Keaton Jennings - Perth Scorchers, Jafer Chohan - Sydney Sixers

Also read: Watch: Khurram Shahzad on fire as he dismisses Shadman Islam and Najmul Hossain Shanto in the same over