The BBL:
The Big Bash League (BBL) has confirmed the introduction of a new overseas player draft system to attract big T20 names from across the globe. This will allow only clubs to choose from a pool of international players for the upcoming and 12th season of the BBL league.
All foreign male players who wish to participate in the tournament will be nominated for the draft and will be allotted in certain pay bands. They will then be allocated in different bands, gold, silver or bronze. Players can choose to be available for gold only, or for gold and silver, or for all three levels.
Cricket Australia has not publicly confirmed salaries for these bands, but understood that the Bronze tier (the lowest pay band) would earn a six-figure sum with earnings of more than three times that of the Platinum tier.
“We have been working on this for some time so that we can work with our clubs to get the best overseas players and we know that part of it is making sure we are as competitive as needed from a salary standpoint. May be.” Cricket Australia’s General Manager of the BBL, Alistair Dobson said.
The move is seen as an attempt by the BBL to compete economically with other T20 leagues around the world. The date for the draft has not been announced yet.
How will the BBL draft work?
The draft will consist of four rounds with each team able to do a minimum of two and a maximum of three. At the end of the second round, the club making the final selection in round two will receive the first pick of round three. Given that each team is allowed to field a maximum of three overseas players in their XI, they have been allowed to make only three selections in their draft. Any team can field a starting lineup without a foreign player, but in order for the BBL to attract more foreign players, each club has been asked to choose at least two international players from the BBL draft.
As far as retention is concerned, each club can create one. The eligibility criteria for this is that the player must have played as an XI or X-factor for at least one game in the previous BBL season.
Can foreign players be drafted for more than one season of BBL?
No, foreign players will be kept on contract for one year only. If they want to return to BBL|13 they will have to enroll for the draft again. The club will have the option to draft a player for another season using a retention pick if that player takes the field during the previous season.
Why not auction like Indian Premier League?
BBL clubs have a salary cap of around $1.9 million for their squad of 18 players, of which a portion of the cap is reserved for international players. Cricket Australia will also contribute funds outside the club salary range for top-level international players, and this makes the auction impractical. This type of draft is also common in other franchise competitions around the world, such as the England Hundred and the Pakistan Super League.