Draft nominations open for milestone Big Bash season

Player nominations for this year's Big Bash draft are officially open as the eight clubs ramp up their preparations ahead of Weber WBBL|10 and KFC BBL|14.

Overseas players can signal their intent to feature in the Big Bash next summer from today with the draft earmarked for September.

Now into its third year, the BBL draft attracted over 300 nominations in each of its first two iterations, while the inaugural WBBL draft last year saw 122 players nominate.

"Off the back of a successful 2023-24 summer, which saw growth in crowds and audiences alongside exciting cricket, we know many of these players can't wait to return this summer," said Alistair Dobson, Cricket Australia's general manager of Big Bash Leagues.

New this year, clubs will be able to draft up to four players (previously a maximum of three), thereby selecting in all four rounds of the draft.

One of the four would be considered an overseas replacement player if one of their three primary international players is unavailable for a period of the tournament.

Clubs will still be required to make at least two picks during the draft.

Also new this year is the ability to pre-sign an overseas player on a multi-year deal (up to three years) under a new contracting mechanism designed to increase the availability of international stars.

Announced last month, each club will be permitted to sign one overseas player to a maximum three-year deal in both the men's and women's competitions, allowing them to skip the draft and negotiate directly with the team of their choice.

These players do not need to enter the nominations pool, but all others hopeful of being of featuring in the Big Bash next summer must nominate for the draft.

From WBBL|11 and BBL|15 onwards, pre-signed players are required to be available for the entire season including finals, which is designed in part to help reduce the loss of international players to rival T20 leagues in the second half of the men's Big Bash season.

The women's global T20 calendar is also becoming increasingly crowded with India's Women's Premier League, England's Hundred, as well as competitions in Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe established since 2020.

The length of the WBBL season has also been reduced from 56 home-and-away matches to 40, further aiding overseas player availability in an increasingly congested women's international schedule.

While the Big Bash schedule is yet to be released, the milestone 10th season of the WBBL is expected to get underway not long after the ICC women's T20 World Cup in Bangladesh from October 3-20.

In the men's competition, clubs must build a primary squad of 18, of which at least 15 must be Australian domestic players complemented by up to three overseas players, either pre-signed or drafted. Teams can sign up to seven overseas players each season but only three are permitted on their primary list at a time.

Draft salary bands

WBBL clubs must have a primary squad of 15 – at least 12 domestic players and up to three overseas players. Teams can sign up to six overseas players each season but only three are permitted on their primary list at a time.

A weighted lottery to determine the WBBL and BBL draft order is expected to take place next month.