The first batch of nominations for the upcoming Big Bash League Draft have been revealed, with six high-profile T20 cricketers putting their names forward for selection.
T20 World Cup champion Alex Hales, Major League Cricket hero Nicholas Pooran and South African legend Faf du Plessis are among the nominees Cricket Australia unveiled on Friday morning, along with Rilee Rossouw, who is currently No. 5 on the ICC Men’s T20I Batting Rankings.
Meanwhile, New Zealand’s Colin Munro and England’s Laurie Evans will be available to the Brisbane Heat and Perth Scorchers respectively as retention picks for September’s Draft. However, it is unlikely the six cricketers will be available for the entire BBL competition due to rival T20 leagues and international duties.
Hales, who won the 2022 T20 World Cup in Australia last year, recently retired from international cricket. The former England opener, available to the Sydney Thunder as a retention pick, has blasted 1747 Big Bash runs with a strike rate of 150.73 since his debut in 2019 – the only cricketer in BBL history with more runs and a better strike rate is Glenn Maxwell.
Rossouw, who the Thunder could also secure with a retention pick, cracked two centuries for the Proteas in October 2022 but struggled to convert that form into last summer’s Big Bash, averaging 18.14 across the tournament.
West Indies powerhouse Pooran steered the MI New York towards MLC glory last month, blasting 137 runs off 55 balls in the final against the Seattle Orcas. The 27-year-old, who has not played BBL cricket in nearly three years, is the West Indies‘ second-leading run-scorer in T20I history, sitting behind the legendary Chris Gayle.
Du Plessis was ignored in last summer’s BBL Draft but eventually picked up by the Scorchers as an international replacement for Evans, who had his contract terminated on the eve of the tournament. The South African smacked 163 runs at a strike rate of 153.77 for the eventual BBL champions before jetting home for the inaugural SA20 competition.
Evans, currently representing the Oval Originals in The Hundred, faces a hearing later this year after testing positive for a banned substance during a routine anti-doping test in August 2022. He has denied any wrongdoing. The 35-year-old was the player of the BBL final in January 2022, scoring an unbeaten 76 (41) at Marvel Stadium to ensure the Scorchers secured their fourth title.
Meanwhile, Munro was one of the Heat’s most consistent players last summer, scoring 278 runs at 34.75 with a strike rate of 150.27, helping the Brisbane-based franchise reach the final.
The BBL Draft gets underway on September 3 at 4.30pm AEST.