Ben Duckett and Laurie Evans were among several England cricketers selected for the 14th edition of the Big Bash League (BBL), highlighting the strong presence of English talent in the tournament. Duckett, who previously played for Brisbane Heat in the 2021-22 season, was the first choice for Melbourne Stars in the platinum category, while Laurie Evans, not retained by Perth Scorchers, found a new home with Melbourne Renegades.
The Renegades initially picked James Vince as their second overall selection, but Sydney Sixers quickly exercised their retention rights to bring back their opener, despite his partial availability for the season. The Sixers, picking last in the first two rounds, secured West Indies spinner Akeal Hosein in the gold category, a pre-signed player who will only be available for seven games. Alongside Evans, the Renegades also drafted England batter Jacob Bethell, who recently earned his first call-up for the white-ball series against Australia.
Shai Hope, making his BBL debut, was a notable selection for Hobart Hurricanes in the platinum category, influenced by head coach Ricky Ponting, who previously worked with Hope at Delhi Capitals in IPL 2024. Chris Jordan, another pre-signed player for the Hurricanes, was also placed in the platinum category, while Bangladesh legspinner Rishad Hossain, making his first appearance in a T20 league outside the Bangladesh Premier League, rounded out their draft picks.
Defending champions Brisbane Heat successfully reacquired left-arm fast bowler Paul Walter in the second round after securing Colin Munro in the platinum category. Sussex and Trent Rockets batter Tom Alsop was also selected, marking his BBL debut. The Melbourne Stars, besides picking Duckett, also brought in Pakistan legspinner Usama Mir and assigned Tom Curran, another pre-signed player, to the platinum category.
Adelaide Strikers, having pre-signed Ollie Pope in the gold category, chose allrounder Jamie Overton in the platinum category and West Indies allrounder Fabian Allen in the third round. Sydney Thunder allocated the platinum category to their pre-signed player Sam Billings, and further strengthened their squad by drafting New Zealand fast bowler Lockie Ferguson and West Indies finisher Sherfane Rutherford in the silver category.
While seven teams opted to pass on making picks in the final two rounds, the Perth Scorchers made an unconventional choice by selecting Lancashire wicketkeeper-batter Matthew Hurst, who had impressed during the men's Hundred for Manchester Originals. Keaton Jennings was the final pick for the Scorchers, while the Sydney Sixers added Yorkshire legspinner Jafer Chohan to their roster, a player who took 17 wickets in this year’s T20 Blast.
In total, 14 English players will participate in BBL 14, underscoring the significant impact of English talent in this season's competition.
How the BBL Draft Unfolded:
- Melbourne Stars: Ben Duckett (platinum), Tom Curran (pre-signed, platinum), Usama Mir (silver)
- Melbourne Renegades: Laurie Evans (platinum), Jacob Bethell (gold), Tim Seifert (pre-signed, gold)
- Sydney Thunder: Lockie Ferguson (platinum), Sam Billings (pre-signed, platinum), Sherfane Rutherford (silver)
- Hobart Hurricanes: Shai Hope (platinum), Chris Jordan (pre-signed, platinum), Rishad Hossain (bronze)
- Adelaide Strikers: Jamie Overton (platinum), Ollie Pope (pre-signed, gold), Fabian Allen (silver)
- Brisbane Heat: Colin Munro (pre-signed, platinum), Paul Walter (gold), Tom Alsop (bronze)
- Perth Scorchers: Finn Allen (pre-signed, platinum), Matthew Hurst (silver), Keaton Jennings (bronze)
- Sydney Sixers: James Vince (retained, platinum), Akeal Hosein (pre-signed, gold), Jafer Chohan (bronze)