The Women’s Big Bash League (WBBL) maiden player drafting has concluded, with the tournament due to get underway on September 3, Sunday in Melbourne.
Amelia Kerr, Deepti Sharma, and Deandra Dottin are among the superstars when it comes to the more than 100 nominations for Sunday’s first Weber WBBL player draft.
There have been 122 nominations from 16 different countries, including 35 from England, 20 from South Africa, 18 from India, 17 from New Zealand, 10 from the West Indies, 5 from Pakistan, 4 from Papua New Guinea, 3 from Ireland, 2 each from Zimbabwe and the UAE, and one each from Sri Lanka, Hong Kong, the United States, Scotland, the Netherlands, and Bangladesh.
Of these, 116 have been drafted, with the remaining six opting for the ‘direct nomination’ method. The BBL|13 Draft spectacularly has 376 players from 29 different countries.
The so-called “Direct Nominations” technique eliminates the uncertainty of a draft for the player, but it comes at a cost: a player who chooses this approach can only be compensated a maximum of 95% of the silver tier, limiting their compensation to $61,750 for WBBL|09.
There are four categories in the overseas player draft: Platinum, Gold, Silver, and Bronze. Players may position themselves in the latter three categories, with Cricket Australia deciding on the Platinum tier.
Platinum-tier players selected in the first round of the draught will earn $110,000, while gold-tier players will earn $90,000, while silver and bronze winners will receive AUD 65,000 and AUD 40,000, respectively.
The draft allows each side to select an absolute minimum of two and up to a maximum of three overseas players.
The clubs that failed to qualify for last year’s knockouts will go first in the WBBL draft order, with the Sydney Thunder obtaining the top choice via a weighted lottery, followed by the
Melbourne Renegades, Perth Scorchers, and Melbourne Stars, amongst others.
Each team may keep one nominated player if they have previously served the team in the event.
Six players have opted for the direct nomination approach and will join with a team straight. Suzie Bates from New Zealand, Mignon du Preez and Lizelle Lee from South Africa, and Tammy Beaumont, Sophia Dunkley, and Amy Jones from England are among the players who have approached for the same.
Players who choose this path can be signed after the draft but are not eligible for selection during the drafting.
The introduction of the draft has allowed players from all over the world to put forth their names for regard, with competitors such as Ireland’s Orla Prendergast, the United States’ Tara Norris, and Bangladesh’s Jahanara Alam eager to compete for the first time. Each team is only allowed one retention pick.
The overseas player drafting will take place on September 3 and will be telecast live on Fox Cricket and Kayo Sports alongside the second KFC BBL draught, beginning at 5.30 pm AEST.
Before the draft, league authorities will promote selected players who they believe are the most appealing draft prospects to the platinum tier, with the list to be announced on Wednesday.
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