Big Bash League to pick overseas player through draft system

Melbourne: The Big Bash League (BBL), Australian professional franchise Twenty20 cricket league, has introduced a draft system to pick overseas players in the upcoming season.

As per the draft system, each team can field a maximum of three overseas players in their paying XI for, so therefore teams are only permitted to make three selections in the draft.

"It marks the biggest change to contracting since the competition's inception 11 years ago, with foreign players to nominate for the draft across gold, silver or bronze tiers. Each category will have a different payment with Platinum set as the highest bracket," Cricket Australia said in a statement.

The draft will consist of four rounds with each team required to make a minimum of two picks, but a maximum of three. At the end of the second round, the draft will follow a snake format, meaning the team that picked last in round two will get the first pick of round three.

The draft order will be determined by a weighted lottery system. Picks 1, 2 and 3 will go to the teams that missed the finals last year (Melbourne Renegades, Brisbane Heat and Melbourne Stars) and picks 4-8 will go to the five finalists from BBL-11 (Perth Scorchers, Sydney Sixers, Adelaide Strikers, Sydney Thunder and Hobart Hurricanes).

Each team is entitled to one retention pick. To be eligible for retention, an overseas player must have been named in the XI or as an X-factor for at least one game last season during BBL-11.

Each team's squad will comprise of 18 players, including two or three overseas players from the Draft and the remainder being domestic players.

After the Draft, teams will be able to contract up to five replacement overseas players. A player must have nominated for the Draft to be an eligible replacement overseas player, unless approved by the League. (UNI)