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The Big Bash League (BBL) 2025–26 draft featured a strong Pakistani presence as seven players from Pakistan were picked across multiple rounds by different franchises, with three of them securing platinum-category selections in the opening round.
The draft began with Brisbane Heat selecting left-arm pacer Shaheen Shah Afridi as their first pick, adding firepower to their bowling lineup. Melbourne Stars retained Haris Rauf through their retention option after he was initially picked by Adelaide Strikers. Meanwhile, Mohammad Rizwan, Pakistan’s ODI captain, was drafted by Melbourne Renegades—this marks his debut appearance in the BBL.
Later rounds saw more Pakistani talent being picked. Shadab Khan joined Sydney Thunder, marking his fourth BBL team. Babar Azam was secured by Sydney Sixers as a pre-signing, bringing star value to the squad. Hassan Khan was drafted by Melbourne Renegades, and Hasan Ali found a spot in the Adelaide Strikers squad.
These selections reflect the rising demand for Pakistani players in franchise cricket, particularly for their versatility and match-winning abilities in T20 leagues around the world.
Complete list of Pakistan players picked in BBL 2025–26 draft:
Shaheen Shah Afridi – Brisbane Heat (Round 1, Platinum)
Haris Rauf – Melbourne Stars (Round 1, Retention Pick)
Mohammad Rizwan – Melbourne Renegades (Round 1, Platinum)
Babar Azam – Sydney Sixers (Pre-signing)
Shadab Khan – Sydney Thunder (Round 2)
Hasan Ali – Adelaide Strikers (Round 3)
Hassan Khan – Melbourne Renegades (Round 2)
Complete team-wise BBL 2025–26 overseas draft picks:
Adelaide Strikers: Luke Wood, Jamie Overton, Hasan Ali
Brisbane Heat: Shaheen Shah Afridi, Colin Munro, Tom Alsop
Hobart Hurricanes: Chris Jordan, Rishad Hossain, Rehan Ahmed
Melbourne Renegades: Mohammad Rizwan, Hassan Khan, Tim Seifert
Melbourne Stars: Haris Rauf, Tom Curran, Joe Clarke
Perth Scorchers: Finn Allen, Laurie Evans, David Payne
Sydney Sixers: Sam Curran, Babar Azam, Jafer Chohan
Sydney Thunder: Lockie Ferguson, Shadab Khan, Sam Billings
Meanwhile, some big international names were not picked in the draft, including Jofra Archer, James Anderson, Zak Crawley, Liam Livingstone, Alex Hales, Dawid Malan, Jason Roy, and Reece Topley from England; Tim Southee and Kane Williamson from New Zealand; Kusal Perera from Sri Lanka; Shamar Joseph from the West Indies; and Mustafizur Rahman from Bangladesh. Many of these players were overlooked due to limited availability during the season, with BBL teams favoring players who can commit for the entire tournament.
