Big Bash League: BBL 2022 Player Draft Dates, Players, New Rules, Retention -- All You Need To Know

Melbourne, June 22: Ahead of the Big Bash League (BBL 2022), the Cricket Australia on Wednesday (June 22) has announced the introduction of BBL 12 draft to recruit overseas as well as domestic cricketers.

The BBL Draft, to be held in the coming months, will give all the Clubs the opportunity to recruit up to three primary overseas players for their 2022 squads.

Nominations for the Draft have opened on Wednesday (June 22) to players from across the world. The BBL, alongside our Clubs, have been in positive conversations with players and agents for some time and look forward to announcing the first nominations.

Additionally, the BBL 2022 contracting embargo has now been lifted, meaning clubs are able to enter binding discussions with Australian players.

There are no changes to the mechanisms by which domestic players are recruited.

Alistair Dobson, CA General Manager of Big Bash Leagues, said: “The BBL 12 is shaping up as the most hotly anticipated season yet, with the best of the Big Bash on display on and off the field. At the forefront of this will be the BBL 12 Draft, which elevates the recruitment of overseas players to a new level.

“The Draft is designed to attract the best available players, excite fans for the upcoming season and provide new opportunities for Clubs and the League. We look forward to announcing the first group of nominations soon.

“We’d like to thank our Clubs and the Australian Cricketers’ Association for working with us on building the Draft and look forward to the event itself.”

Trent Woodhill, Big Bash Leagues’ Player Acquisition and Cricket Consultant, said: “The BBL has a long history of bringing the biggest names to Australia and we expect it to be an even more attractive proposition with the introduction of the Draft.

“The Draft will create a new layer of strategic decision making for players and Clubs alike, as well as new levels of anticipation for the upcoming season.

“Feedback from players and agents around the world to the Draft concept has been very positive. They know what a great experience a summer in Australia is and we are anticipating a strong group of nominations in the near future.”

BBL 2022 Draft: How it works

The Draft is the primary way for Clubs to recruit their overseas players for the upcoming season.

Player nominations & categories

Players from around the world are now able to nominate for the BBL 2022 Draft via an online nomination portal, including their availability for part or all of the tournament.

There will be 4 categories in which players can be selected on Draft night: Platinum, Gold, Silver and Bronze. Salaries for each category have been set at globally competitive rates, with Platinum the highest player payment.

Draft order

The Draft order will be decided via a weighted lottery.

The three teams to miss the Finals in BBL 2021 will be entered in the first weighted lottery to determine selections one, two and three.

The five finalists from last season will then be drawn for selections four to eight.

Draft rounds

The Draft will consist of 4 rounds with one pick per Club in each. Clubs may elect to pass in certain rounds, but each Club must pick a minimum of 2 and maximum of 3 players by the completion of round 4.

Round one is for Platinum players only and will follow the draft order drawn via the above method. Round two will follow the same order as round one, after which rounds three and four will follow a snaking order.

Retention Picks

Each club is entitled to one Retention Pick to be used in any round of the Draft. A player is eligible for retention if they have played a match for that Club the previous season.

Total players & replacements

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

After the Draft, Clubs will be able to contract up to 5 replacement overseas players. A player must have nominated for the Draft to be an eligible replacement overseas player, unless approved by the League.