Pacers Jofra Archer, Lungi Ngidi, and Haris Rauf are among the 432 male cricketers who have nominated for the BBL 2024-25 player draft, scheduled for September 1. Furthermore, ahead of the league’s second selection, 161 women from abroad—including 19 from India—have submitted their names for the WBBL 2024 international draft.
Player availability will be a significant factor as the eight clubs select their teams. Players are required to indicate their availability in four categories: full availability, full regular season availability, 6-9 games, and 4-6 games. This information will help teams make informed decisions during the draft.
Archer has declared his availability for the full regular season, as the England men’s white-ball schedule has no overlap until a five-T20 series in India starting January 23, just two days after the BBL league phase concludes. This could mark Archer’s return to the Australian league since its eighth edition. However, clubs may consider his injury history and require fitness clearance from the ECB before selection.
Similarly, South African pacer Lungi Ngidi faces a potential dilemma for clubs. Ngidi’s teammates, Tabraiz Shamsi and Reeza Hendricks, have indicated availability for only 6-9 games due to their commitments to the upcoming SA20 tournament, which begins in the second week of January.
In contrast, several English pacers, including Reece Topley, Jamie Overton, Paul Walter, and Brydon Carse, have confirmed full availability, including the finals week. This could influence the selection strategies of clubs as they weigh the risks and rewards of drafting players with varying availabilities.
On the other hand, Haris Rauf has indicated a window of availability for 6-9 games along with the finals, as he is set to join Pakistan’s white-ball tour of South Africa in December. His availability may limit his chances of being retained by the Melbourne Stars, where he is eligible for retention.
The women’s draft also presents challenges for player availability. With South Africa Women hosting England for a multi-format series starting November 24—coinciding with the end of the WBBL league phase—many regular players may be affected. Former South African pace spearhead Shabnim Ismail, eligible for retention by Hobart Hurricanes, has full availability and could be a key asset.
Other notable players include South African opener Tazmin Brits and all-rounder Sune Luus, both of whom have marked themselves available for the entire competition. However, several England players, including captain Heather Knight and Sophie Ecclestone, will likely miss the finals if picked in the draft.
India Women are also set to face New Zealand for three ODIs after the T20 World Cup 2024, affecting the availability of several players. Most Indian players, including Harmanpreet Kaur, Jemimah Rodrigues, and Deepti Sharma, will likely be available for only 6-9 games plus the finals.
Meanwhile, England’s Zak Crawley and Dani Gibson have withdrawn their nominations ahead of the draft. All eight clubs have the option of pre-draft overseas signings in both the BBL and WBBL, providing teams with additional flexibility in building their rosters.
Each team features notable international players in the BBL 2024:
- Adelaide Strikers: Smriti Mandhana (WBBL) / Ollie Pope (BBL)
- Brisbane Heat: Nadine de Klerk (WBBL) / Colin Munro (BBL)
- Hobart Hurricanes: Lizelle Lee (WBBL) / Chris Jordan (BBL)
- Melbourne Renegades: Hayley Matthews (WBBL) / Tim Seifert (BBL)
- Melbourne Stars: Marizanne Kapp (WBBL) / Tom Curran (BBL)
- Perth Scorchers: Sophie Devine (WBBL) / Finn Allen (BBL)
- Sydney Sixers: Amelia Kerr (WBBL) / Akeal Hosein (BBL)
- Sydney Thunder: Chamari Athapaththu (WBBL) / Sam Billings (BBL)
