Boult, Russell join draft as platinum players revealed

The Big Bash League has unveiled 12 platinum level players eligible to be taken in the first round of the inaugural BBL Draft with star New Zealand quick Trent Boult and big-hitting allrounder Andre Russell adding to the box-office nominations.

Russell will be eligible for retention by the Melbourne Stars – who have the second pick in Sunday's BBL|12 Draft – having played five matches for the club last season.

The 34-year-old, who has smashed the third most sixes of all-time in T20 cricket with 564 behind Chris Gayle and fellow platinum nominee Kieron Pollard, recently said he was not finished in international cricket and wanted to win more T20 World Cups with the West Indies.

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Platinum BBL|12 Draft list 

Faf du Plessis (South Africa)

Jason Roy (England)

Liam Livingstone (England)

Sam Billings (England)

Kieron Pollard (West Indies)

Andre Russell (West Indies)

David Willey (England)

Shadab Khan (Pakistan)

Dwayne Bravo (West Indies)

Rashid Khan (Afghanistan)

Chris Jordan (England)

Trent Boult (New Zealand)

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Under the BBL Draft rules, only the 12 platinum players are eligible to be picked in the first round, while platinum or gold level players can be taken in the second round. Nominations closed overnight Sunday, with a total of 279 players putting their names forward.

League officials will announce the availability windows and tiers for all other players in the coming days. 

Boult was released from his central contract by New Zealand Cricket earlier this month and while he'll still be available for selection for the national side, he cited a desire to play in domestic T20 leagues around the world and spend more time with family as the reasons behind his decision.

The 33-year-old left-armer – the world's top-ranked ODI bowler – has never played in the Big Bash with the competition traditionally clashing with New Zealand's home summer.

Outside of New Zealand's Super Smash competition, Boult has only ever played in the Indian Premier League where he has collected 92 wickets in eight seasons.

But like most of the other draft nominees allocated platinum status, both Boult and Russell will only be available for the first part of KFC BBL|12 before jetting off to other leagues in early January.

Boult has been picked up by the Mumbai Indians-owned MI Emirates team in UAE's new International League T20 (ILT20) competition while Russell will play for his Kolkata Knight Riders-owned franchise Abu Dhabi Knight Riders.

England stars Jason Roy, Sam Billings, David Willey and Chris Jordan are other late draft nominees to be allocated platinum status with 'keeper-bat Billings (Sydney Thunder) and right-arm quick Jordan (Sydney Sixers) also eligible for retention.

Leg-spinner Shadab Khan – also eligible for retention by the Sixers – is the first player from Pakistan to be announced as a draft nominee alongside veteran left-armer Wahab Riaz, who has a rich white-ball history in Australia with nine wickets in three games during the 2015 ODI World Cup, which includes 2-54 in that famous spell to Shane Watson.

There was hope superstars Babar Azam, who is the No.1 ranked T20I batter, Mohammad Rizwan and Shaheen Shah Afridi might be available for a short stint, but Pakistan has a heavy home international schedule in December-January with three Tests against England, two Tests and three ODIs against New Zealand and three T20Is against the West Indies.

Willey and Shadab are the only platinum-level players yet to be picked up by other franchises in competing leagues.

Faf du Plessis, Liam Livingstone, Rashid Khan, Roy and Jordan have committed to the South African league, while Pollard, Dwayne Bravo and Billings have been picked up by teams in the UAE competition

Among the big names to miss out on platinum status is English opener Alex Hales – who is eligible for retention by the Thunder but is also off to the UAE league having been picked up by the Desert Vipers.

Afghan spinner Mujeeb ur Rahman (able to be retained by the Brisbane Heat and bound for the ILT20), allrounders Carlos Brathwaite and James Neesham, and Phil Salt are other players to miss out on platinum status.

Alistair Dobson, Cricket Australia's General Manager of Big Bash Leagues, said the number and quality of nominations for the BBL|12 Draft had vindicated the league's decision to adopt the new model of bringing overseas players into the competition.

"Close to 280 players from around the world have elected to venture to Australia this summer and experience the best of the BBL and summer lifestyle our country offers," said Dobson.

Image Id: https://www.cricket.com.au/~/media/News/2022/07/BBL-draft-order?la=en&hash=4AE6FB0B4F134F189B20FE1111E0BA90E8F9850C Image Caption: The order for the BBL|12 Draft has been determined

The BBL|12 Draft will be held on Sunday, August 28 and broadcast live on Foxtel and Kayo Sports following the first ODI between Australia and Zimbabwe in Townsville.

Click herefor a full list of players to have nominated for the BBL|12 Draft.