Mills, Rashid Khan included in CPL draft

England T20 specialist Tymal Mills and a clutch of Afghanistan players - including IPL-bound Rashid Khan and Mohammad Nabi - are among the high-profile names to be included in the draft for this year's Caribbean Premier League.

Mills, who was picked up for USD1.8m in the IPL auction last month, is one of four English players in the draft, alongside former Test spinner Monty Panesar. Mills' availability is likely to be limited, however, as there is significant overlap between the CPL - scheduled to run from August 1 to September 9 - and the NatWest Blast, England's domestic T20 tournament which this year takes place in July and August, with Finals Day on September 2.

Rashid and Nabi are joined by compatriots Nawroz Mangal, Asghar Stanikzai and Najibullah Zadran. There are a number of other Associate players in the mix, including Canada's Rizwan Cheema and Ruvindu Gunasekera; George Dockrell, Kevin O'Brien and Niall O'Brien from Ireland; Oman's Sufyan Mehmood and Zishawn Qureshi of the USA.

Australia, South Africa, New Zealand, Pakistan and Sri Lanka are all well represented in the 258-player pool, ahead of the draft scheduled for March 10.

The list also includes a number of local players looking to be picked up, including two-time World T20 winner Marlon Samuels. Those retained by their franchises, as well as marquee players, will be announced separately.

"T20 is capturing the world of cricket by storm, and with the huge numbers of talented players from across the cricketing world eager to sign up to the biggest party in sport, I've no doubt that the 2017 season will be our best yet," Tom Moody, the CPL's director of international cricket, said.

"In attracting the cream of international talent from a healthy blend of established and fast-developing nations, it extends the growing international appeal of the sport and of the Hero CPL itself, and I have no doubt that we are going to see a hugely contested player draft in Barbados on March 10th."