England stars line up for Big Bash draft action

Ten of England's top cricketers are the latest nominations revealed for the inaugural Weber WBBL draft, revealed today by the league officials.

England captain Heather Knight and top-ranked T20 bowler Sophie Ecclestone are the highest profile names on the list which includes a mix of batting and bowling talent.

Knight missed last summer with an injury but remains eligible for a retention pick by the Sydney Thunder if selected for what would be her seventh WBBL season.

Ecclestone was a key player for the Sydney Sixers in her first WBBL season last summer, taking 20 wickets en route to the final.

Bowling trio Sarah Glenn, Issy Wong and Lauren Bell have all nominated. Glenn last played in the WBBL in 2020 when she took 17 wickets in 14 games for the Perth Scorchers.

The Hobart Hurricanes hold retention rights for Wong after signing the now 21-year-old last season in a coup from the Thunder, only for her to pull out shortly before the tournament with an injury. 

Bell is yet to feature in the WBBL.

Top-order batter Tammy Beaumont, who starred in the recent women's Ashes with a Test century but was overlooked by England for the T20 leg, has nominated for a return, with the Sydney Thunder holding her retention option.

Danielle Wyatt, one of England's top short-form batting talents, has nominated for the draft with the Brisbane Heat holding her retention option, while the Melbourne Stars have that choice with both Lauren Winfield-Hill and Alice Capsey who have both nominated.

Emma Lamb is the final England player included in today's nominations, and is looking to secure her first WBBL contract.

The overseas draft, to be held on September 3 in a televised event in conjunction with the second KFC BBL draft, looks set to shake up the spread of overseas talent in the league, with each club only able to use one retention pick.

In the previous eight seasons of the Weber WBBL, clubs would negotiate directly with international players and their agents.

Now, all overseas players who want to feature in the tournament must nominate for the draft, with clubs set to take turns selecting the players they want in their squad for WBBL|09.

Sydney Thunder secured pick No.1 for the draft via a weighted lottery system, with the Melbourne Renegades and Scorchers drawn for picks two and three respectively.

Foreign players have nominated for the draft across three tiers; gold (attracting a salary of $90,000), silver ($65,000) or bronze ($40,000) tiers.

Ahead of the draft, league officials will elevate select players who they determine are the most enticing draft prospects to a platinum tier ($110,000).