Cricket Superstars Have not Selected in The First Overseas Draft of the Big Bash League

The Big Bash League Draft seems to be missing a great deal of star power. It looks like some of the biggest names in cricket are in fact missing and this is not good at all. Andre Russell and Faf Du Plessis are not being picked at all and this is a bit of a shock for the cricket business to say the least. A lot of stars have been overlooked and nobody is sure why. All we can do right now is speculate so we can find out if any players are purposely being overlooked.

Why did the Teams Not Pick Big Names?

It would seem that the backdrop to the late-night draft went on to change the world of cricket around the world. The two tournaments are now having a huge impact on the game as we know it, and this could be why the big names were not picked. You have the South African domestic competition, and this is the CSA T20 league, and this is going to start in January. This time is normally dominated by the Big Bash but it would seem that things are changing. Graeme Smith is the league commissioner, and he is the former captain for Proteas, so it is going to be interesting to see how things unfold.

Close Links to the IPL

The BBL league does have very close links to the IPL. If you break it all down, you will soon see that the six franchises are being owned by consortiums right now. This is from the Indian league, which is one of the biggest in the world. At the same time as this, you also have the United Arab Emirates, which is going to be home to so many star cricketers. Another thing to take note of is that it is going to be backed by big money and that there are so many international crickets taking part. Competition is fierce at the end of the day and big-name players designed the league to try and draft new names. It’s a good way to give franchises the nudge they need to sign more platinum players as well. Each player who is chosen to play in the Platinum category comes away with a guaranteed $340,000. Those who picked up gold came away with $260,000 and those who got silver got $175,000. You also have bronze, at $100,000 for those who are picked for the Big Bash.

Players who Didn’t Attract Bids

One issue was that the move didn’t work. Even though the Strikers did hold onto the famous Rashid Khan, with the Melbourne Renegades grabbing Livingstone, it would seem that Russe, Bravo and Du Plessis did not manage to get any bids at all. Teams, instead, focused on picking players who were available for the tournament as opposed to the ones that had the profile required. The Head of Strategy for Hobart has said that you ideally want continuity for the season and when it comes to choosing players, a lot of it comes down to international players coming in and out. You may get two or even three games out of one, but then you have to find someone who can fill that same slot with the same ability. This is very difficult to do, and, in some instances, it causes more problems than it is worth.

If your players are coming in and out, then you need to make sure that you have money to fill the void. When you are managing the salary cap as well as everything else, it’s not hard to see how difficult this can be. If you look past the international draft then you will soon see that domestic stars, which include Chris Lynn all opt to head overseas when the tournament is happening, and that they are not going to be available for all games. Last week, it was announced as a signing for the Adelaide Strikers. He is going to be available to play for the team over the coming games for the season. England’s very own Liam Livingstone has said that he is the number one pick as he was chosen for the Melbourne Renegades.

The Bigger Picture and the Striker’s Team

The Striker’s coach has said that they planned to always try and retain Rashid.  He is a great player, and he is a top person. He has been great for the franchise over the years, and he is delighted to be able to have him back. The Stars have since turned to Plan B to try and choose Trent Boult as well. He is from the Brisbane Heat, and he has said that he is honoured to be able to play with the team. The Brisbane Heat have said that they plan to use their third pick to try and lure Sam Billings as well as the Sydney Thunder. The Sydney Sixers chose Chris Jordan as the fourth pick and the Perth Scorchers surprised a lot of people when they decided to pass on their number six pick out of the Platinum round. Scorchers did eventually use their retention pick to try and keep Laurie Evans in the second round and they also snared Phil Salt during the third round. Tymal Mills went in the fourth round. Of course, when you break it all down, it isn’t hard to see that Phil Salt is a top player, but Evans is the hero for the Scorchers. He was critical for their win in the grand final and of course, Mills has played for the team before.

The Sydney Thunder went with David Wiley at the seventh spot, and this means that he is going to be available all season. He had the last pick in the platinum round, but they eventually went with Shadab Khan. Liam Livingstone is the number one pick of the draft for the Renegades, and he is thrilled to be able to play alongside the top players who are partaking in the league.