Here are top picks for WBBL 2023 draft

The first draft is about to happen for the upcoming edition of Weber Women’s Big Bash League 2023. Five international captains have been nominated for the inaugural  WBBL season draft. The draft will take place on September 3. The five players are Sophie Devine from New Zealand, Harmanpreet Kaur from India, Suné Luus from South Africa, Hayley Matthews from West Indies, and Chamari Athapaththu from Sri Lanka.

The five captains will come under the hammer in the first round. There will be no domestic players on this list. The other members of the set will be announced in the coming weeks. It would be the same as it was in the inaugural KFC BBL draft last season. Each team will be allowed to retain one player from the team.

We thank these players for making themselves available for the upcoming season: Alistair Dobson

Due to their recent participation with the ‘Gades, Harmanpreet, Matthews, and Athapaththu are all eligible for retention, which might provide a major challenge for the Melbourne Renegades. Devine, an important player for the White Ferns and the fourth-ranked T20I hitter in the world has been a fixture for the Perth Scorchers in recent years, is eligible for retention, and would seem to have a good chance to stay in orange.

Since she has not played Big Bash cricket since WBBL, season 4 with the Brisbane Heat, Luus, who captained her country to this year’s T20 World Cup final against Australia, is the only one of the five who is ineligible for retention. General Manager of Cricket Australia‘s Big Bash Leagues, Alistair Dobson, expressed they were  “thrilled” by the nominations.

“These players have not only excelled as international captains but have also left an indelible mark on the game of cricket and we are excited at the prospect of these players showcasing their talents in the upcoming WBBL season. We thank these players for making themselves available for the upcoming season and look forward to announcing more nominations for the Big Bash Overseas Player Drafts in the coming weeks,” Dobson said.