BBL overseas draft to Secure Leading Players
The Big Bash League draft will be available this summer, allowing clubs to sign up to three overseas players, Cricket Australia announced on Wednesday. CA said the draft would take place in the near future, and nominees can begin on April 20. It is hoped the draft will draw more overseas players to Australian shores, where ‘globally competitive rates’ will be offered.
The BBL has agreed to make an overseas player draft available for the 2022-23 BPL season in an attempt to attract the biggest T20 stars from overseas. After twice being delayed due to the COVID-19 epidemic, a three-stage overseas player draft was approved by officials last week. The biggest modification to the BPL’s contract history has been made since its inception 11 years ago, with foreign players being allowed to choose from the gold, silver, or bronze tiers.
The BBL will once again be a 14-game schedule plus finals and the Australian cricket league expects that overseas player will not be available for the entire competition. Players will be divided into four categories: platinum, gold, silver, and bronze. They may enter the gold, silver, or bronze band. The BBL, based on nominations, will determine the platinum players. They will be paid an estimated $340,000. The flat payment of the Cricket Australia marquee payment is used to top up the contract and will be paid whether they play six or 14 games. There are no match payments in the BBL, as players are paid a set amount every season.
The draft will have four rounds:
- Round 1: Platinum only
- Round 2: Platinum or Gold
- Round 3: Gold or Silver
- Round 4: Silver or Bronze
The BBL, which starts in November, will allow players to vote for a salary scale – gold, silver, or bronze – and then watch which teams want them. Players with the greatest bargaining power will be placed in a platinum class, and some of their wages will be outside the salary cap. According to reports, the platinum players will make $340,000, silver players $260,000, and bronze players $100,000. Starting in the draft, four rounds will be held, starting with the platinum round and finishing with the silver/bronze round.
League officials believe that it is better to have the world’s top T20 superstars play a portion of the competition than not at all, and they will elevate draft prospects to a platinum tier and give them a higher salary even if they are only available for part of it. League officials believe subsidizing the highest salaries from a central pool will see teams take players who are not available for the entire tournament.