Pooran could return to BBL after nominating for overseas draft
Laurie Evans, who missed last season after a provisional doping suspension, has also put his name in
ESPNcricinfo staff
11-Aug-2023
Nicholas Pooran, the West Indies left hander, could return to the BBL after he was announced among six batters who have nominated for the overseas draft next month.
Pooran's one previous stint in the BBL came in the 2020-21 season where he made six appearances for Melbourne Stars, smashing 65 off 26 balls with eight sixes in his second outing against Sydney Sixers although Stars lost a thriller by one wicket.
His is an eye-catching inclusion on the draft list given his recent form where he hammered 137 off 55 balls in the MLC final to carry MI New York to the title which has been followed by runs in the T20I series against India.
English batter Laurie Evans could also head back to the league after he was forced to miss last season with Perth Scorchers after being provisionally suspended following a positive doping test.
The suspension was lifted in March and Evans is currently playing in the Hundred for Manchester Originals having also been part of the T20 Blast for Surrey. However, he still faces a hearing later this year.
Having been on Scorchers' original list last season he will be eligible for retention, whereby a club has one opportunity to prevent another team signing a player who was in their squad the previous season. Evans played a starring role in their 2021-22 title success with 76 off 41 balls in the final.
Other names heading into the draft, which will take place on September 3 following the inaugural WBBL overseas draft, are Alex Hales, Rilee Rossouw, Faf du Plessis and Colin Munro.
Hales, who recently announced his retirement from international cricket, is eligible for retention by Sydney Thunder as is Rossouw. Du Plessis was originally an unpicked platinum player in last year's draft before getting a replacement deal with Scorchers so he could also be retained.
Munro, the New Zealand left hander, was part of Brisbane Heat last season where he made 278 runs at a strike-rate of 150.27, so they would have the option of bringing him back.
This year's BBL, which will start on December 7, has been shortened to a 43-game season although there is still likely to be an overlap with the ILT20 in the UAE and the SA20 which may affect player availability.
Overseas players can nominate in three categories for the draft - gold (AUD$300,000), silver (AUD$200,000) and bronze (AUD$100,000) - with the BBL then selecting a group of the biggest names to the platinum picks on AUD$420,000 if they are available for the whole tournament.
How retention picks work
Players in both the WBBL and BBL overseas player drafts will be an eligible retention player if they fit any of the following criteria: