Nominated cricketers for the BBL and WBBL drafts: 432 men and 161 women

The 432 male cricket players that have nominated themselves for the BBL 2024–25 player draft, which is set on September 1, include Pacers Jofra Archer, Lungi Ngidi, and Harif Rauf. 19 Indian women are among the 161 international players who have entered the WBBL 2024 abroad draft ahead of the league’s second draft.

Nevertheless, when the eight clubs convene to select the squads, player availability will undoubtedly play a significant determining role. Players have been asked to indicate which of the four availability categories—complete availability including the playoffs, full regular season availability, 6-9 games, and 4-6 games—they are available for both foreign drafts.

With two days remaining in the BBL league phase, on January 23, England’s white-ball schedule won’t coincide with Archer’s availability for the entire regular season. Instead, the team will play a five-match Twenty20 series in India. The English speedster may be on the verge of making his Australian League debut for the first time since its eighth edition, but the clubs may be cautious about selecting him given his history of injuries and the ECB’s subsequent health and workload clearance.

With Ngidi from South Africa, the team managers might encounter a similar predicament. It will also be necessary for him to return in time for the third SA20 edition, which usually begins in the second week of January. His fellow countrymen Tabraiz Shamsi and Reeza Hendricks are both available for 6-9 games.

Conversely, some English pacers such as Reece Topley, Jamie Overton, Paul Walter, and Brydon Carse have stated that they will be available for play right up until finals week.

Given that Pakistan will be touring South Africa for a white-ball tour in December, Rauf, who is also eligible for retention by the Melbourne Stars, has only selected a 6-9 game window and the finals.

The availability of some league regulars may be impacted by South Africa Women’s scheduled multi-format series against England beginning on November 24, which also happens to be the last day of the WBBL league phase. While England’s Kate Cross and Lauren Filer will only play in the league phases, former South African pace spearhead Shabnim Ismail, who is eligible to be retained by the Hobart Hurricanes, will be a major draw given her full availability.

Nevertheless, Heather Knight, the captain of England, Sophie Ecclestone, Danni Wyatt, Amy Jones, Alice Capsey, and Sophia Dunkley will not be making the finals if selected in the draft. Tazmin Brits, the opener for South Africa, and all-rounder Sune Luus have declared themselves available for the contest.

The majority of these players will only be available for 6–9 games before the finals, as India Women will also be hosting New Zealand for three One-Day Internationals (ODIs) following the completion of the T20 World Cup 2024 in the United Arab Emirates on October 20. India will go to Australia for three IWC One-Day Internationals (ODIs), a series that begins only after the WBBL is finished. Among the 19 Indians who have registered are Harmanpreet Kaur, Jemimah Rodrigues, and Deepti Sharma.

In the meantime, pacer Dani Gibson for the women’s team and men’s team Zak Crawley have withdrawn their candidacy prior to the draft.

Also Read: Of the 15 Indian players who enrolled for the WBBL draft were Harmanpreet, Jemimah, and Deepti

In the BBL and WBBL, all eight clubs have taken advantage of the pre-draft foreign signing option. The players under contract are listed below: