Big Bash League: Hales, Pooran, Du Plessis, Rossouw Among 6 Batters Nominated For Upcoming BBL Overseas Draft

Hales, Pooran, Du Plessis, Rossouw Among 6 Batters Nominated For Upcoming BBL Overseas Draft (Image Source: Google)

England batter Alex Hales, West Indies wicketkeeper-batter Nicholas Pooran and South Africa duo of Faf du Plessis and Rilee Rossouw are among the six batters to be nominated for the upcoming overseas draft of the Big Bash League (BBL), to be held on September 3. Pooran, who was recently in the spotlight for his mammoth 137 runs off 55 balls for MI New York in the Major League Cricket final, will be capturing the attention of multiple clubs ahead of the BBL starting from December 7. His previous stint in the BBL came in the 2020-21 season where he made six appearances for Melbourne Stars.

Sydney Thunder will be spoilt for choice with both Rossouw, who is ranked fourth in T20I batting and Hales, who retired recently from international cricket, ranked 13th and holder of an impressive BBL strike rate of 150.14. Both batters are available to the club as retention pick options.

Meanwhile, du Plessis is returning for a second crack at the BBL Overseas Player Draft, after scoring an impressive 177 runs from 123 balls in his eight matches for the Perth Scorchers in last year’s BBL season, making him an appealing option as a retention pick. 

After helping the Brisbane Heat reach the final in last season, former New Zealand batter Colin Munro has his eyes set on another BBL season. Munro moved to the Brisbane Heat from the Perth Scorchers for BBL Season 12 after being selected as pick 11 in the inaugural BBL Draft and went on to have a big impact, scoring 278 runs across eight matches.

England batter Laurie Evans is also looking to return for his second BBL season, putting his name forward for consideration. Eligible as a retention pick for the Perth Scorchers, Evans became a hero to their fans in the BBL season 11 final, where he scored an unbeaten 76 runs off 41 balls to secure victory. 

But he was forced to miss the last BBL season after being provisionally suspended due to a positive doping test. Though the suspension was lifted in March, Evans is due to face a hearing later this year.

“We are extremely excited about the return of the KFC BBL Overseas Player Draft. The BBL has always been a stage for cricketing excellence, and the first round of this year’s BBL Overseas Player Draft nominations once again underscore the League’s international appeal.”

“The influx of these top batters is a testament to the BBL’s standing in the global cricket community and fans can look forward to another summer of big hits and high scores,” said Alistair Dobson, Cricket Australia’s General Manager of Big Bash Leagues, in a statement.

Players in both the WBBL & BBL Overseas Player Drafts will be eligible for retention 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