MUZAFFARABAD (Kashmir English): Five leading cricketers from Pakistan: Shaheen Afridi, Mohammad Rizwan, Haris Rauf, Shadab Khan and Fatima Sana have signed up for the upcoming Big Bash League (BBL) and Women’s Big Bash League (WBBL) draft respectively.
They are among over 600 overseas players who have entered their names for this year’s selection. The draft for the 15th season of the BBL and the 11th edition of the Women’s Big Bash League (WBBL) is set to take place on 19 June.
Pakistan’s women’s team captain, Fatima Sana, is also among the international players who have registered for the WBBL draft, joining some of the game’s top female cricketers.
The preliminary list for BBL 15 includes Shaheen, Rizwan, Haris, and Shadab, along with global stars like Shamar Joseph from the West Indies, New Zealand pacers Lockie Ferguson and Tim Southee, England’s Sam Curran and Alex Hales, and Sri Lankan batter Kusal Perera.
On the women’s side, WBBL 11’s early list features top names such as Heather Knight, Lauren Bell, Danni Wyatt, and Sophie Ecclestone from England; India’s Jemimah Rodrigues and Shikha Pandey; South Africa’s Shabnim Ismail and Chloe Tryon; and Deandra Dottin from the West Indies. Fatima is Pakistan’s only representative on the list so far.
The full roster of registered players, including their availability details, will be made public in the coming days.
Alistair Dobson, Cricket Australia’s General Manager of Big Bash Leagues, said “We are very excited by the nominations for the Big Bash Leagues drafts including some global superstars who will add enormous intrigue as the clubs compete for the best available talent.”
He added, “Having household names such as Shaheen Afridi, Mohammad Rizwan, Heather Knight and Sophie Ecclestone nominate demonstrates the continuing appeal of the Big Bash Leagues to some of the world’s best players.”
He shared his excitement for the tournament by further adding “We will have more exciting announcements in the weeks ahead as we reveal the full list of nominations and more pre-signed international players who will help light up the Big Bash Leagues this summer.”
What is BBL/WBBL
BBL (Big Bash League) is Australia’s professional men’s Twenty20 cricket league, and WBBL (Women’s Big Bash League) is the Australian professional women’s Twenty20 cricket league.
Both leagues are organized by Cricket Australia and feature eight city-based franchises.
