England stars dominate expanded platinum list

England's Big Bash hopefuls are in the box seat to attract top dollar at this year's KFC BBL Draft, dominating an expanded platinum list for the event's second edition.

Big Bash officials today announced the names of the overseas players elevated to a platinum tier for the BBL|13 and WBBL|09 drafts, thus making them eligible for selection in the first round and in the running for the coveted first pick.

Afghanistan superstar and the world's top-ranked T20 international bowler, Rashid Khan, headlines a men's group featuring some of T20 cricket's most in-form players that includes four of the top six run-scorers this year in Faf du Plessis, James Vince, Mohammad Rizwan and Will Jacks.

Among the 25-strong platinum list – selected from a draft pool of 376 overseas players unveiled on Monday – were 14 Englishmen (including Ashes stars Harry Brook and Zac Crawley), two South Africa greats (du Plessis and Quinton de Kock), three Pakistan stars (Shadab Khan, Mohammad Rizwan and Haris Rauf), two New Zealand veterans (Martin Guptill and Colin Munro), two Afghan BBL fan favourites (Rashid and Mujeeb Ur Rahman) and red-hot West Indian Nicholas Pooran.

Under BBL Draft rules, only the 25 platinum players can be taken in the first round, with both platinum and gold-tiered players permitted to be selected in the second round of Sunday night's BBL|13 Draft.

A cash injection following a new Memorandum of Understanding between Cricket Australia and the players' union, the Australian Cricketers' Association, will see overseas players taken with a platinum pick in this year's draft earn up to $AUD 420,000 to play in the Big Bash this season, and uplift of 23.5 per cent from last year's inaugural draft.

Gold-tiered players will also see a salary increase of 15 per cent to $300,000 this season, as will silver-tiered selections who will earn $200,000, up 14 per cent, while the bronze band remains the same at $100,000.

Melbourne Stars, who finished last in BBL|12, hold the first pick in this year's draft after being drawn first in a weighted lottery last month, with Adelaide Strikers and Hobart Hurricanes awarded picks No.2 and 3 respectively.

As they did with their first selection in last year's draft, the Stars have been weighing up whether to attempt to poach Rashid with the No.1 pick after trading Australia's premier white-ball spinner Adam Zampa to crosstown rivals the Melbourne Renegades during the off-season.

That would force the Strikers into using their retention pick straight away to keep club legend Rashid, meaning they would be unable to retain the likes of Englishman Adam Hose and New Zealand veteran Colin de Grandhomme later in the draft.

Each of the league's eight clubs are granted one retention pick for the draft for an overseas player that either played for them the previous season or for two consecutive seasons and hasn't played for another BBL club since.

The retention pick must be used in the same round where an opposing club attempts to poach the player.

Clubs are also able to apply to the BBL Technical Committee to give them retention rights to a player they selected in the previous draft but didn't play a game due to injury or other circumstances, which is how England left-arm quick Tymal Mills and top-order batter Phil Salt are eligible to be retained by the Perth Scorchers.

Other platinum nominated players eligible to be retained are Sam Billings (Heat), Joe Clarke (Stars), Crawley (Hurricanes), Tom Curran (Sixers), du Plessis (Scorchers), Guptill (Renegades), Alex Hales (Thunder), Chris Jordan (Sixers), Shadab (Hurricanes), Munro (Heat), Rauf (Stars), Rilee Rossouw (Thunder), Mujeeb (Renegades) and Vince (Sixers).

Pakistan speedster Rauf is another the Stars have indicated they are eyeing off with the first pick after also taking a fast bowler – Kiwi Trent Boult – in last year's draft after the Strikers thwarted their attempt to nab Rashid.

The 29-year-old right-armer is a crowd favourite at the MCG and boasts a formidable Big Bash record with 30 wickets at 16.40 with an economy rate of 7.70 in 18 matches across three seasons with the Stars from 2019-2022.

The Renegades meanwhile could take a wicketkeeper-batter with their No.4 pick after exchanging Sam Harper for Zampa, and they'll be spoilt for choice in the first round with South Africa star de Kock, Pakistan gloveman Rizwan and Englishman Billings up for grabs.

They could also use their first-round pick to retain Mujeeb who proved extremely effective last season with eight wickets and a superb economy rate of 6.63. Their Marvel Stadium home ground is traditionally a pitch that favours spin.

Both the WBBL and BBL drafts will be held on Sunday, September 3, in a televised event on Fox Cricket and Kayo Sports, with the WBBL draft taking place from 5.30pm, ahead of the BBL draft from 7pm.

Platinum BBL nominees

Gus Atkinson, Sam Billings, Harry Brook, Joe Clarke, Zak Crawley, Tom Curran, Quinton De Kock, Faf Du Plessis, Martin Guptill, Alex Hales, Will Jacks, Chris Jordan, Rashid Khan, Shadab Khan, Tom Kohler-Cadmore, Dawid Malan, Tymal Mills, Colin Munro, Nicholas Pooran, Haris Rauf, Mohammad Rizwan, Rilee Rossouw, Phil Salt, Mujeeb ur Rahman, James Vince