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The 2025–26 Big Bash League (BBL) is set to kick off soon in Australia, and the excitement has already begun with franchises building their squads through the player draft.

This year, several top stars from Pakistan, including Mohammad Rizwan, Shaheen Afridi, Shadab Khan, Haris Rauf, and Hasan Ali, entered the draft pool. Meanwhile, Babar Azam has already been signed by the Sydney Sixers as a pre-draft marquee player.

Among the most sought-after overseas players was Pakistan's ace left-arm pacer Shaheen Shah Afridi, who was picked by Brisbane Heat, the two-time BBL champions.

Brisbane had the first overall pick in this year’s draft and wasted no time in selecting Afridi. His performance in the PSL 2025, where he claimed 19 wickets at an average of 16.42, made him one of the hottest properties going into the BBL auction.

Full List of Pakistani Players in BBL

In addition to Afridi, several other Pakistani cricketers have found spots in various BBL teams through the draft.

Mohammad Rizwan was picked fourth overall and will turn out for the Melbourne Renegades. Shadab Khan will represent Sydney Thunder, Haris Rauf joins the Melbourne Stars, and Hasan Ali will feature for Adelaide Strikers. This strong Pakistani presence in the league is expected to boost fan engagement and add flair to the competition.

The Big Bash League salary structure is divided into four tiers — Platinum, Gold, Silver, and Bronze — with each category corresponding to different pay grades:

Platinum: AUD 360,000–420,000 (approx. ₹2 to ₹2.36 crore)

Gold: AUD 300,000 (approx. ₹1.68 crore)

Silver: AUD 200,000 (approx. ₹1.12 crore)

Bronze: AUD 100,000 (approx. ₹56.10 lakh)

Babar Azam, being signed as a top-category international player, will earn a salary under the Platinum bracket. The final category assignments for Rizwan, Afridi, and the others are yet to be officially confirmed, but given their global stature, they are expected to be in the top two tiers.