Here is Every Pakistani Player in This Year’s BBL Draft

The Big Bash League is set for another influx of Pakistani talent, with nearly 70 players from the country among the 600 nominated for the BBL 15 Draft, scheduled for June 19 in Melbourne. With no international cricket during this year’s BBL window, Pakistan’s representation has grown significantly as a result.

Among the biggest names on the list are pace ace Shaheen Shah Afridi, star wicketkeeper-batter Mohammad Rizwan, tearaway quick Naseem Shah, and white-ball specialist Shadab Khan. All four come with global T20 credentials and are expected to command high interest from BBL clubs.

Beyond the marquee names, there’s a healthy mix of emerging and domestic talent from Pakistan on offer as well.

How the Draft Works:

This is the fourth overseas draft for the men’s Big Bash League, and the 2025 edition introduces a few notable tweaks. Each club can select up to four overseas players (three active in the squad at any time, plus a replacement).

Players are slotted into four salary bands — Platinum ($360k-$420k), Gold ($300k), Silver ($200k), and Bronze (up to$100k).

Teams must pick at least two overseas players in the draft and use one of their picks on any pre-signed international.

Retention rights remain active: clubs can retain one player from last season if certain conditions are met, as long as they haven’t picked another player in that round.

The Brisbane Heat hold the No.1 overall pick in the BBL draft this year, followed by a snake format from Round 3 onwards. Notably, Babar Azam—although not in the open draft pool—has been pre-signed by the Sydney Sixers and will need to be drafted using a pick that matches his contract’s salary band.

Pakistani Players in BBL Draft: