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Everything About Big Bash Drafts: This Thursday, Melbourne hosts what has quickly become one of the most pivotal days on the Australian domestic cricket calendar: the overseas drafts for the 2025 editions of the Weber WBBL and KFC BBL. In a shift emblematic of the evolving Twenty20 landscape, the drafts have been brought forward to June 19, more than two months earlier than in previous years, in a calculated bid to outflank rival leagues and secure the signatures of the globe’s most marketable talent.

Big Bash Draft Date, Time & Broadcast

In a nod to the event’s growing stature, the drafts will be broadcast live across the Seven Network, 7plus, Fox Sports, and Kayo. Coverage begins at 4pm AEST, with the BBL draft leading into the WBBL selection. The broadcast will vary by time zone — from 2pm in Perth to 4pm on the eastern seaboard — but the stakes will be shared across the nation.

For those seeking granular insight and behind-the-scenes access, Cricket.com.au and the Big Bash app will provide rolling coverage, analysis, and a live pick tracker.

Why the Shift?

The timing change is more than logistical. It is strategic. The global T20 marketplace is crowded — leagues in South Africa and the UAE have encroached on the traditional Big Bash window, forcing Cricket Australia to act pre-emptively. This earlier draft not only enhances player availability but gives clubs time to build coherent squads around their imported stars.

Structure & Salary Bands

Draft rules remain consistent with previous editions. Each club is obliged to pick at least two overseas players, with a maximum of four selections permissible, one of which may serve as a replacement. Picks must align with one of four designated salary bands — Platinum, Gold, Silver, and Bronze.

Notably, the Platinum bracket in the BBL is pegged at between $360,000 and $420,000 depending on availability. Players with full-season availability command the top fee, with pro-rata reductions applied for limited participation. WBBL Platinum salaries are capped at $110,000.

Pre-Signed Players & Multi-Year Deals

Another wrinkle this year is the rise of multi-year pre-signings, a mechanism designed to encourage continuity and fend off international competition. These players — such as Babar Azam (Sydney Sixers), Sophie Devine (Perth Scorchers), and Amelia Kerr (also Sixers) — must still be “drafted” in alignment with their contracted band, but their destination is preordained.

Each club is permitted one such signing per team. Pre-signings are required to be available for the entire season, including finals — a sharp contrast to the patchwork availabilities of many draft nominees.

Retention & Trades

Retention rights remain a feature, allowing clubs to retain one overseas player from the previous year, provided specific criteria are met. If a rival selects a player eligible for retention, a club has 45 seconds to activate its rights — a format reminiscent of the more theatrical elements of American sport.

Draft pick trades are increasingly fashionable, and this year the Sydney Thunder and Perth Scorchers have already swapped four picks in the BBL draft. Such manoeuvres, while complex, add intrigue to the selection process and reflect the rising sophistication of T20 list management.

Who Picks First?

In the WBBL, fortune again smiled on the Sydney Sixers, who drew the first pick for the second year running, overcoming 20% odds. In the BBL, it was the Brisbane Heat who defied their seventh-place finish in BBL|14 to take the No.1 spot, snapping a run of Melbourne-based dominance.

Selections follow a serpentine pattern: Rounds 1 and 2 are straight-ordered by lottery results, while Rounds 3 and 4 follow a snake draft format — a method borrowed from fantasy sports, but well suited to this abridged competition.

Who’s in the Pool?

This year’s combined draft pool exceeds 600 overseas players from 30 countries — a testament to the reach of the format, and the growing cachet of the Big Bash despite its recent scheduling turbulence. The WBBL field includes 145 names, while the BBL draft features 440 players, from England and India to more unheralded locales like Greece, Rwanda, and Indonesia.

Availability Challenges

The BBL still grapples with international scheduling congestion. The hope is that the earlier draft will allow clubs to secure higher quality talent for more of the season. The availability bands — ranging from full participation to partial stints of four to six games — remain a key determinant of draft value.

The WBBL has fewer such concerns, but this year’s edition has been nudged later to accommodate the Women’s World Cup in India, concluding November 2. The WBBL will begin shortly thereafter, with the expectation that most pre-signed players, including marquee names from South Africa and New Zealand, will be available throughout.

Players available for retention in the Big Bash drafts

Adelaide Strikers

Danielle Gibson, Orla Prendergast, Fabian Allen, Adam Hose, Rashid Khan, Ollie Pope

Brisbane Heat

Jemimah Rodrigues, Shikha Pandey, Lauren Winfield-Hill, Tom Alsop, Paul Walter

Hobart Hurricanes

Danni Wyatt-Hodge, Chloe Tryon, Suzie Bates, Kathryn Bryce, Rosemary Mair, Rishad Hossain, Waqar Salamkheil

Melbourne Renegades

Deandra Dottin, Alice Capsey, Eve Jones, Tara Norris, Grace Scrivens, Linsey Smith, Jacob Bethell, Laurie Evans, Hassan Khan, Tawanda Muyeye

Melbourne Stars

Yastika Bhatia, Maia Bouchier, Haris Rauf, Joe Clarke, and Lawrence, Usama Mir

Perth Scorchers

Amy Jones, Brooke Halliday, Stevie Eskinazi, Matthew Hurst, Keaton Jennings, Tymal Mills

Sydney Sixer

Sophie ecclestone, Sarah Bryce, Jafer Chohan, Izharulhuq Naveed

Sydney Thunder

Heather Knight, Shabnim Ismail, Georgia Adams, Alex Hales, Lockie Ferguson, George Garton, Mohammad Hasnain

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