Big Bash League (BBL) has also decided to follow the path of Indian Premier League (IPL). Cricket Australia on Wednesday, 22 June 2022, announced the introduction of a ‘draft’ system on the lines of IPL for the selection of foreign players in the next season of BBL (Big Bash League). The next season of BBL will start in December 2022. A ‘draft’ for this is likely to be prepared in the next few months. According to the ‘draft’ system, each team must select a minimum of two and a maximum of three players.
Cricket Australia, however, clarified that the ‘Draft’ has been designed with the goal of attracting the best overseas players available. It aims to make BBL more competitive in the international market. There will be four categories of players (Platinum, Gold, Silver and Bronze). Of these, the platinum category cricketers will be placed in the highest paid category. In this, foreign players will have the option to be available in the number of games they want to play, during December and January, without having to commit to the entire tournament.
The goal of the BBL is, in fact, to overtake the T20 leagues to be held in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and South Africa. Emirates Cricket Board will host the UAE T20 League from January 6 to February 12, 2023. 6 teams will participate in this tournament. Of these, 5 are related to Indian companies. In this, the companies owned by 3 IPL teams (Mumbai Indians, Kolkata Knight Riders and Delhi Capitals) have bought teams.
However, the dates of this UAE T20 league will clash with the BBL and Bangladesh Premier League and the new league proposed by South Africa Cricket. In such a situation, BBL is already trying to rope in the best foreign players.
There is no official date for the draft yet, but it is understood that it will be held in August, four months before the start of the BBL season. The tournament will once again be of 14-14 matches (home and away ground). It is likely to run from mid-December 2022 to the end of January 2023. The tournament schedule is likely to be announced in July.
