Pooran makes way to BBL after naming for overseas draft
Cricket
Previous stint of Pooran in the BBL came in the 2020-21 season
(Web Desk) - Nicholas Pooran, the West Indies left hander, could make his return to the Big Bash League (BBL) as he was announced among six batters having nomination for next month overseas draft.
Previous stint of Pooran in the BBL came in the 2020-21 season when he appeared six times for Melbourne Stars, scoring 65 off 26 balls studded with eight sixes in his second outing against Sydney Sixers though Stars vanished 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.
