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August 19, 2024
West Indies bowler Shamar Joseph has officially thrown his hat in the ring for this year’s Big Bash League overseas player draft. He is looking to return to Australia following his remarkable performances at the Gabba last summer.
On Monday afternoon, Cricket Australia announced a list of 20 cricketers nominated for next weekend’s Big Bash Draft, with Joseph leading this impressive lineup of international talent.
The 24-year-old made headlines in January when he played a pivotal role in securing a historic eight-run victory for the West Indies over Australia at the Gabba, delivering an outstanding spell of 7 wickets for 68 runs in the fourth innings.
Having made his professional T20 debut less than a year ago, Joseph has quickly established himself in the cricketing scene. Since then, he has played for the Lucknow Super Giants in the Indian Premier League and the Dubai Capitals in the ILT20.
In his most recent outing, Joseph claimed 5 wickets for 33 runs during the West Indies’ second Test against South Africa in Guyana, although the Proteas ultimately triumphed by 40 runs.
Looking ahead, the West Indies are set to face Pakistan in a two-Test series in January 2025, which means Joseph may not be available for the BBL finals.
“I will always be available to play for the West Indies, no matter how much money comes towards me,” Joseph declared in January.
“I will always be here to play Test cricket.”
Nearly 600 overseas players have submitted their nominations for this season’s Big Bash Draft, including England opener Alex Hales and Afghanistan spinner Mujeeb Ur Rahman.
Among the notable names is Black Caps paceman Lockie Ferguson, who recently turned down a central contract offer from New Zealand Cricket, indicating his availability for the Big Bash League. He joins international stars such as Pakistan seamer Haris Rauf and England opener Jason Roy.
However, many of these international players, who have not signed multi-year contracts with Big Bash clubs, are expected to leave midway through the tournament to participate in rival T20 leagues, including South Africa’s SA20 and the ILT20. For instance, Ferguson is anticipated to be unavailable for the latter half of the BBL due to his commitments in the SA20, which kicks off on January 9.
In addition, AAP reports that Afghanistan superstar Rashid Khan has opted not to nominate for this year’s Draft, citing a busy schedule that includes a multi-format series against Zimbabwe in December and the SA20 in January. Due to a back ailment, Khan—who holds the record for most wickets taken by international players in BBL history—withdrew from the Adelaide Strikers’ competition in the previous year.
On the women’s side, England captain Heather Knight leads the first list of nominees for the Draft, alongside South African sensation Laura Wolvaardt and Kiwi veteran Suzie Bates.
Also making the list are England spinner Sophie Ecclestone, who missed last season’s WBBL due to injury, and emerging talent Alice Capsey, Indian captain Harmanpreet Kaur, and South African speedster Shabnim Ismail.
“The quality of overseas players in this summer’s Big Bash Leagues will once again be outstanding and Draft night is shaping up as a must-watch,” Alistair Dobson, Cricket Australia’s General Manager Big Bash Leagues, said in a statement.
“The Drafts themselves on September 1 will be more broadcast on more platforms than ever before thanks to the commitment of our broadcasters Seven and Foxtel.
“In addition to the first nominations announced today, a selection of top T20 names have already committed to clubs as pre-signed players in recent weeks.
“We look forward to more nominations and pre-signed players being revealed in coming weeks, as players once again show that the WBBL and BBL are destinations of choice for them.”
BBL Draft: First Nominations
Laurie Evans (England) – Perth Scorchers may keep him on
Lockie Ferguson (New Zealand)
Alex Hales (England) — Eligible for retention by Sydney Thunder
Shamar Joseph (West Indies)
Shadab Khan (Pakistan)
Jamie Overton (England) — Eligible for retention by Adelaide Strikers
Haris Rauf (Pakistan) — Eligible for retention by Melbourne Stars
Jason Roy (England)
Mujeeb Ur Rahman (Afghanistan) — Eligible for retention by Melbourne Renegades
James Vince (England) — Eligible for retention by Sydney Sixers
WBBL Draft: First Nominations
Suzie Bates (New Zealand) — Eligible for retention by Sydney Sixers
Alice Capsey (England) — Eligible for retention by Melbourne Stars
Sophie Ecclestone (England) — Eligible for retention by Sydney Sixers
Shabnim Ismail (South Africa) — Eligible for retention by Hobart Hurricanes
Harmanpreet Kaur (India) — Eligible for retention by Melbourne Renegades
Heather Knight (England) — Eligible for retention by Sydney Thunder
Jemimah Rodrigues (India)
Deepti Sharma (India)
Laura Wolvaardt (South Africa) – Adelaide Strikers may keep her
Danni Wyatt (England) — Eligible for retention by Perth Scorchers
BBL Draft Order
Melbourne Stars
Melbourne Renegades
Sydney Thunder
Hobart Hurricanes
Adelaide Strikers
Brisbane Heat
Perth Scorchers
Sydney Sixers
WBBL Draft Order
Hobart Hurricanes
Sydney Sixers
Melbourne Renegades
Melbourne Stars
Sydney Thunder
Adelaide Strikers
Brisbane Heat
Perth Scorchers
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Katarzyna Nowak is a seasoned writer with over five years of experience in editorial content, news reporting, and cricket sportsbook app reviews. As an author for Top Cricket News, she combines her deep understanding of the sports betting industry with a passion for cricket, delivering insightful and accurate content that keeps readers informed and engaged.
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