An undated picture of Pakistan cricketers Shaheen Shah Afridi (left), Mohammad Rizwan and Babar Azam (right) during a training session. — PCB
Shaheen Afridi, Babar Azam, Haris Rauf, Muhammad Rizwan and Salman Ali Agha are among the 74 Pakistani male cricketers who have signed up for the Big Bash League (BBL) 15 Draft, as announced by Cricket Australia (CA).
Shaheen was selected by Brisbane Heat, Rauf will once again play for Melbourne Stars, Rizwan will play for Melbourne Renegades and Azam will play BBL for Sydney Sixers.
Hassan Khan was selected by Melbourne Renegades, Shadab Khan was made part of the team by Sydney Thunder while fast bowler Hasan Ali will play BBL for Adelaide Strikers.
Shaheen, Rizwan and Rauf were also selected in the Platinum category.
The draft, scheduled for June 19, will also include 11 Pakistani women cricketers competing for spots in the Women’s Big Bash League (WBBL), showcasing a growing interest and presence of Pakistani talent in Australia’s premier T20 competitions.
Joining Salman in the men’s draft are explosive opener Mohammad Haris and mystery spinner Abrar Ahmed, both of whom have impressed with their recent performances at the domestic and international levels.
These names add to an already star-studded list of Pakistani players previously registered for the BBL 15 Draft, including pace spearhead Shaheen, wicketkeeper-batter Rizwan, leg-spinner Shadab, fast bowler Rauf, spinner Usama Mir and pacer Mohammad Hasnain.
The BBL 15 draft will feature over 600 overseas players, making it one of the most competitive drafts in recent years.
The men’s draft includes players from England (178), the West Indies (42), Sri Lanka (13), and even one from India. The women’s draft pool is headlined by players from England (46), India (15), New Zealand (15) and Pakistan (11).
Brisbane Heat will have the first pick in the men’s draft, giving them the opportunity to lead selections from this elite pool of global talent.
