Deepti Sharma, Rashid Khan named as final nominations for WBBL, BBL overseas drafts

New Delhi, Aug 28 (IANS) India’s off-spin all-rounder Deepti Sharma and Afghanistan’s premier leg-spinner Rashid Khan have been named as final nominations for the WBBL, BBL overseas drafts, to be held on September 3.

Deepti, who played for UP Warriorz in the inaugural edition of the Women’s Premier League (WPL), is now added on the stellar list of nominations for the inaugural WBBL overseas draft, which has attracted 122 players from 19 countries. She played for Sydney Thunder in the 2021-22 WBBL season, but is not eligible for retention.

Other Indian players in WBBL draft include Yastika Bhatia, Harmanpreet Kaur, Harleen Deol, Hurley Gala, Richa Ghosh, Mannat Kashyap, Amanjot Kaur, Veda Krishnamurthy, Shikha Pandey, Shreyanka Patil, Sneh Rana, Jemimah Rodrigues, Meghana Sabbineni, Deepti Sharma, Meghna Singh, Renuka Thakur, Pooja Vastrakar and Radha Yadav.

Harmanpreet and Jemimah are eligible for retention by their respective clubs Melbourne Renegades and Melbourne Stars. On the other hand, after being selected as a Platinum pick by the Adelaide Strikers in the BBL12 Draft, Rashid, with 556 T20 wickets, has put his name forward again in draft this year, which has nominations from 376 cricketers.

The players selected for the Platinum category of each draft will be announced on August 30. "We are thrilled by the response to this year’s WBBL and BBL Drafts. The sheer volume and calibre of nominations for both Drafts speaks to the appeal of the Big Bash League for players from across the globe and reinforces the competition's reputation for showcasing top-tier talent and providing unparalleled entertainment."

“With the uplift in Big Bash player payment pools this season, top international players set to earn more than ever before highlighting the Big Bash League’s continued commitment to fostering a world-class competition."

“On behalf of the League and our Clubs, we extend thanks to all players and their agents around the world for their support of the Drafts and the Big Bash Leagues. We look forward with great anticipation to the Drafts this Sunday,” said Alistair Dobson, Cricket Australia’s General Manager of Big Bash Leagues.

The Drafts will feature four rounds, with clubs able to select a minimum of two and maximum of three players in total, each Club will be required to pass in at least one round. Each Club’s BBL squad will comprise of 18 players, including two or three overseas players from the Draft.

Each Club’s WBBL squad will comprise of 15 players, including at least two overseas players from the Draft, with the option of a third overseas player from the Draft or via a direct nomination.

There will be four categories in which players can be selected on Draft night: Platinum, Gold, Silver and Bronze. Salaries for each category have been set at globally competitive rates, with Platinum the highest player payment.

The WBBL Overseas Player Draft offers players the option of nominating to be directly contracted by a WBBL Team after the Draft only. If a player opts for a direct nomination, they are not available to be selected by a team during the Draft. 

If a player opts for this approach and is directly contracted by a WBBL Team after the Draft, the player’s retainer cannot exceed more than 95% of the amount a WBBL Team must pay a Silver Overseas Player. 

The following players have submitted direct nominations in the WBBL Overseas Player Draft: Suzie Bates (New Zealand), Tammy Beaumont (England), Sophia Dunkley (England), Mignon du Preez (South Africa), Lizelle Lee (South Africa) and Amy Jones (England)

Players in both the WBBL & BBL Overseas Player Drafts will be an eligible retention player if they fit any of the following criteria: 1) Have been in a Big Bash team squad for a minimum of two seasons and haven’t been contracted to another team since.

2) Have been in a Big Bash team squad the previous season. 3) Was in a team squad last season but did not play in the starting 13 and have been approved by the Big Bash Technical Committee. 4) Is otherwise approved by the Big Bash Technical Committee due to exceptional circumstances