Draftees, replacements & star power: BBL|12's overseas class

League bosses promised the introduction of an overseas player draft would deliver the big names, and while not all made their way onto club lists through the KFC BBL|12 Draft, there's plenty of global superstars set to light up the competition this summer. 

Andre Russell and Faf du Plessis may have missed selection on draft night three months ago, but the Melbourne Renegades and Perth Scorchers were quick to snap them up as replacement players when their top picks were forced out of the tournament.

New Zealand great Martin Guptill returns to the Big Bash for a second time, while star left-arm quick Trent Boult will make his first appearance in the competition this summer after being released from his Black Caps central contract. 

BBL|12 will feature a trio England's T20 World Cup winning squad in Alex Hales, Chris Jordan and Tymal Mills, while Luke Wood was a travelling reserve. 

Fourteen of the 26 overseas players currently on club lists for BBL|12 were involved in the world's T20 showpiece event on Aussie soil just last month.

Unfortunately, the Renegades No.1 pick Liam Livingstone withdrew from BBL|12 after his international commitments increased following a surprise inclusion in England's Test squad, and he subsequently suffered a knee injury during his debut this week. 

But the 'Gades bolstered their list with two gun replacements in Russell and Guptill. 

English batters and Scorchers draftees Phil Salt (shoulder injury) and Laurie Evans (doping violation) will also miss the entire tournament, with South African veteran du Plessis has signed as Evans' replacement. 

The Thunder's top pick David Willey also announced he wouldn't play in the tournament for personal reasons, but Afghanistan tearaway Fazalhaq Farooqi and former Scorchers spinner Usman Qadir are onboard as replacement players. 

Recap every overseas player set to feature in BBL|12 this summer: 

Adelaide Strikers

Rashid Khan – Afghanistan (pick 2 – Platinum) 

Availability: First half 

There would have been an uproar had the Strikers let crowd favourite Rashid Khan fall to the Stars with the second pick in the draft, with head coach Jason Gillespie quickly activating the club's retention selection. Rashid loves playing at Adelaide Oval and smashed a whirlwind 48 not out off 23 balls and took 1-29 during his most recent match at the venue, where he almost snatched victory from the jaws of defeat against Australia in the T20 World Cup. "It was pretty clear from the outset that the Adelaide Strikers were always going to retain Rashid Khan," said Gillespie.

Colin de Grandhomme – New Zealand (pick 14 – Gold) 

Availability: Full season 

It was perhaps a shock to de Grandhomme himself, but certainly New Zealand Cricket, when the Strikers read out his name at pick 14. The 36-year-old retired from international cricket three days after his selection in the BBL|12 Draft to make himself available for the entire season. Alongside Boult and Guptill, de Grandhomme is one of three Kiwis in the Big Bash who have relinquished their central contracts to pursue playing opportunities on the global T20 circuit. Gillespie said they "felt an experienced allrounder is something that could complement our squad", which was the thinking in drafting de Grandhomme.

Adam Hose – England (pick 20 – Silver) 

Availability: Full season 

Englishman Adam Hose is a destructive middle-order batter who the Strikers have plucked from Warwickshire and the Northern Superchargers in The Hundred. He smashed 557 runs at 55.70 with a top score of 110no in this year's T20 Blast, which he followed up with 182 runs at 30.33 in his first season of The Hundred. "Adam Hose, probably a lot of people don't know too much about (him)," said Gillespie after the draft.  

"He comes with pretty good pedigree and what he's done in recent times, his numbers are fantastic. We've got a couple of young guys in our squad in the middle-order … so we felt (we needed) someone in the middle-order who has done it for a while and can provide a bit of power in the middle to end of the innings. We certainly believe de Grandhomme and Hose with (their) power and experience can really complement the rest of our top-order batting." 

Adelaide Strikers BBL|12 squad: Wes Agar, Cameron Boyce, Alex Carey, Harry Conway, Ryan Gibson, Colin de Grandhomme (New Zealand), Travis Head, Adam Hose (England), Henry Hunt, Thomas Kelly, Rashid Khan (Afghanistan), Chris Lynn, Ben Manenti, Harry Nielsen, Matt Short, Peter Siddle, Henry Thorton, Jake Weatherald. Replacement player: Jordan Buckingham

Brisbane Heat

Sam Billings – England (pick 4 – Platinum) 

Availability: First half 

An experienced Big Bash campaigner, Billings returns for his fifth season in the competition with his third club after the Thunder opted not to use their retention pick to match the Heat’s platinum-round selection. Billings' form in BBL|11 was that strong (284 runs at 40.57) that it earned him an unexpected Test debut in the fifth Ashes Test in Hobart after injuries to Jos Buttler and Jonny Bairstow. "He's just a quality player, that's why we picked him," new Heat captain Usman Khawaja said. "An excellent middle-order player, (which was) something we needed. Obviously at the start of the tournament, myself and Marnus won't be there. We need to fill those gaps up and I think we've done that pretty well."

Colin Munro – New Zealand (pick 11 – Gold) 

Availability: First half 

The Heat landed another BBL veteran with their second selection after the Scorchers also opted not to retain Munro following two dominant seasons with the club in BBL|10 and BBL|11 that yielded 833 runs at 36.22 and a top score of 114no in their record-breaking title run last summer. "He hits 360 (degrees) and has an amazing T20 record," said Khawaja. "I played with him in the PSL (Pakistan Super League) last year, he's a terrific bloke and even better cricketer so we're very excited to have him in our team."

Ross Whiteley – England (pick 27 – Bronze) 

Availability: Full season 

An English T20 pro who boasts and great record off 2472 runs striking at 143.05 in the Blast, Whiteley joins the Heat for his first stint in the BBL following two seasons with Southern Brave in The Hundred. He also has experience in the PSL and Bangladesh Premier League four years ago. "He's a very experienced cricketer in the UK," Heat coach Wade Seccombe said. "He's played over 170 T20 games at a high strike rate. What grabbed our eye with him is his versatility to bat anywhere in the order. We've got to find a bit of strike power throughout the whole tournament so his ability to bat at three, four, five and six helps us in that space." 

Brisbane Heat BBL|12 squad: Xavier Bartlett, James Bazley, Sam Billings (England), Max Bryant, Sam Heazlett, Spencer Johnson, Usman Khawaja (c), Matthew Kuhnemann, Marnus Labuschagne, Colin Munro (New Zealand), Michael Neser, Jimmy Peirson, Will Prestwidge, Matthew Renshaw, Mark Steketee, Mitchell Swepson, Ross Whiteley (England), Jack Wildermuth. Replacement players: Josh Brown, Sam Hain (England), Nathan McSweeney

Hobart Hurricanes 

Shadab Khan – Pakistan (pick 8 – Platinum) 

Availability: 10-11 games depending on international selection, and finals 

Shadab Khan could easily have been the Player of the Tournament during the recent T20 World Cup such was his dominant performances with both bat and ball. Shadab led the wicket-takers for Pakistan alongside Shaheen Shah Afridi, and put in a match-winning performance of 52 and 2-16 to single-handedly lift his side over the line against South Africa, a crucial win for their semi-final qualification hopes. "We needed quality spin, which was a big hole that we had in our current squad," Hurricanes head of strategy Ricky Ponting.

Image Id: CA60CC463D114EEAACECDE4D865EAE3A Image Caption: Shadab Khan celebrates a wicket during the T20 World Cup final // Getty

Asif Ali – Pakistan (pick 16 – Gold) 

Availability: 10-11 games depending on international selection, and finals 

Struggled to break into Pakistan's best XI during their run to the World Cup final in October-November, but Asif Ali boasts an exceptional T20 career record of 4141 runs from 248 matches striking at 147.52. "Asif Ali's a powerful middle-order player, we really want to strengthen our power in the latter overs with Tim David, him, Shadab and (Matthew) Wade, so he fits the bill really well," said Ponting. 

Faheem Ashraf – Pakistan (pick 17 – Silver) 

Availability: 4-5 games depending on international selection, and finals 

Faheem's availability for BBL|12 is now under a cloud after receiving a surprise call up to the Pakistan Test squad for their home series against England. Pakistan also plays two home Tests against New Zealand immediately after that series and three ODIs, meaning Faheem might not be available until the final few games of the regular season. "Faheem Ashraf got called up for Pakistan, which was a nice shock selection for him but to have some back up with Zak (Crawley) coming in just after the New Year, and Jimmy (Neesham) early on, it's a really nice mix," Hurricanes head coach Jeff Vaughan said. 

Zak Crawley – England (replacement player) 

Availability: Second half 

The England opener was added to the Hurricanes squad last month as a replacement for Shadab when he is required for national duties during Pakistan's home ODI series in January. Crawley just smacked 122 off 111 balls and 50 off 48 during the first Test against Pakistan with BBL|12 set to be his first appearance in the competition.

James Neesham – New Zealand (replacement player) 

Availability: First half 

The powerful Kiwi allrounder was overlooked in August's BBL|12 Draft but has found his way to the Hurricanes as a replacement player for Faheem following his Test call up. Neesham had a quiet World Cup with the bat and didn't bowl but has a career strike rate of 142.01 and hit 255 runs at 42.50 in England's T20 Blast this year playing alongside Chris Lynn at Northants.

Hobart Hurricanes BBL|12 squad: Asif Ali (Pakistan), Faheem Ashraf (Pakistan), Iain Carlisle, Tim David, Paddy Dooley, Nathan Ellis, Caleb Jewell, Shadab Khan (Pakistan), Ben McDermott, Riley Meredith, Mitch Owen, Joel Paris, Wil Parker, D'Arcy Short, Billy Stanlake, Chris Tremain, Matthew Wade, Mac Wright. Replacement players: Zak Crawley (England), Jimmy Neesham (New Zealand), Tim Paine

Melbourne Renegades 

Mujeeb Ur Rahman – Afghanistan (pick 9 – Gold) 

Availability: First half 

Mujeeb is one of the BBL's seasoned overseas performers and finds himself at the Renegades this season after the Heat opted not to retain him in the draft following four seasons at the club where he collected 37 wickets with an incredible economy rate of 6.20 runs per over. The Afghanistan spinner also claimed four wickets in five matches with an economy rate of 7.33 during the World Cup.

Akeal Hosein – West Indies (pick 25 – Bronze) 

Availability: First half 

Another finger spinner with an incredible T20 career economy rate of 6.49. Hosein will make his Big Bash debut this summer and comes into the tournament after taking 10 wickets in nine matches at the Abu Dhabi T10 league. "We need to come up with a really strong identity this year and we've decided to throw a lot of spin at the opposition," said Renegades head coach David Saker. 

Andre Russell – West Indies (replacement player) 

Availability: First four games 

It raised eyebrows when Andre Russell wasn't picked up in the inaugural overseas player draft but the West Indian superstar has found his way into the BBL for the second straight season. He will play the Renegades first four matches of the season as a replacement for No.1 draft pick Liam Livingstone, who withdrew from the tournament due to an increased workload. Russell is one of the biggest hitters in world cricket and will provide the Renegades with a valuable change of pace bowling option, returning to the club he first represented in BBL|04.

"Andre is one of the best T20 players in the world; he's a proven match-winner and exactly the type of player we need," said Renegades General Manager James Rosengarten. "He adds to our team in all three facets of the game – his ability to clear the boundary, take wickets and make things happen in the field."

Martin Guptill – New Zealand (replacement player) 

Availability: Last 10 games plus finals 

Another New Zealand international who has been released from his central contract to chase playing opportunities on the global T20 circuit. Guptill's signature was a huge coup for the Renegades, with New Zealand's all-time leading run-scorer in T20 internationals set to partner Australia's all-time leading run-scorer in T20 internationals in Aaron Finch at the top of the order for the last 10 games of BBL|12 and finals should they qualify.

Ruwantha Kellapotha – Sri Lanka (replacement player) 

Availability: Full season 

Just 18 months ago leg-spinner Ruwantha Kellapotha was playing club cricket in suburban southeast Melbourne. After dominating Premier Cricket for his club Casey South-Melbourne last summer, the 31-year-old earned a call up to Victoria's Sheffield Shield side against WA in October and NSW last week, a remarkable return to first-class cricket almost a decade after his last match in March 2013 for Kurunegala Youth Cricket Club in Sri Lanka's domestic first-class competition. Kellapotha qualifies as an overseas replacement player as he is in the process of obtaining his Australian citizenship. 

"We were impressed by what we saw from Ruwantha up in Darwin as part of the Renegades Academy and his performances in Premier Cricket last year showed he can match it with Victoria's best," said Rosengarten. "He's had a unique cricketing journey to get to this level. We're confident he can come in and have an impact for us this season." 

Melbourne Renegades BBL|12 squad: Zak Evans, Aaron Finch, Jake Fraser-McGurk, Peter Handscomb, Sam Harper, Marcus Harris, Mackenzie Harvey, Akeal Hosein (West Indies), Nic Maddinson (c), Shaun Marsh, Jack Prestwidge, Kane Richardson, Corey Rocchiccioli, Tom Rogers, Will Sutherland, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Jon Wells. Replacement players: Ruwantha Kellapotha (Sri Lanka), Andre Russell (West Indies), Martin Guptill (New Zealand), David Moody

Melbourne Stars 

Trent Boult – New Zealand (pick 3 – Platinum) 

Availability: First eight games

The Stars have struggled to take wickets in the Powerplay in recent seasons and that's where they're hoping Trent Boult can provide the solution. The Black Caps left-armer has troubled the world's best batters with his ability to move the new ball both ways for more than a decade. 68 of his 204 wickets in T20s have come in the Powerplay and he has the most Powerplay wickets in men's ODIs with 81. His battle with New Zealand teammate Martin Guptill and Aussie skipper Aaron Finch in the Melbourne derby at the MCG on January 3 could be the showdown of the tournament. "A lot of the bowling is going to be revolving around Trent and what he can bring to the table," said Stars head coach David Hussey. He'll definitely take the new ball because he's probably one of the best swing bowlers going around."

Joe Clarke – England (pick 10 – Gold) 

Availability: Full season 

It's no surprise the Stars got English wicketkeeper-batter Joe Clarke back for another BBL season as he fitted in so well with their group and dominated the second half of BBL|11 to finish with five half centuries and 419 runs for the tournament with a strike rate of 151.26. He struggled to replicate that form for Welsh Fire in The Hundred this year but still enjoyed a solid T20 Blast season earlier in the English summer where his 305 runs again came at a strike rate above 150.

Luke Wood – England (pick 23 – Silver) 

Availability: Full season 

Perhaps one of the more left field selections in the inaugural BBL Draft, Luke Wood's outstanding T20 Blast and Hundred seasons where he collected 24 wickets earned him a spot on the plane for England's triumphant World Cup campaign as a reserve bowler. The left-armer is a former teammate of Hussey's at Nottinghamshire. "Joe, Trent Boult and Luke Wood, they're all quality people and they fit into any dressing room," said Hussey. "When people see Luke Wood play at the MCG and the way he's going to fit into the dressing room, it's going to be like a hand in a glove."

Melbourne Stars BBL|12 squad: Trent Boult (New Zealand), Joe Burns, Hilton Cartwright, Joe Clarke (England), Brody Couch, Nathan Coulter-Nile, Sam Elliott, Liam Hatcher, Clint Hinchliffe, Campbell Kellaway, Nick Larkin, Glenn Maxwell (c), Cameron McClure, Tom O'Connell, Marcus Stoinis, Beau Webster, Luke Wood (England), Adam Zampa. Replacement players: Tom Rogers, James Seymour  

Perth Scorchers 

Tymal Mills – England (pick 30 – Bronze) 

Availability: Mills has withdrawn and won't be available for BBL|12 due to a family emergency

The England left-armer is the only one of the Scorchers' three draft picks left standing after Phil Salt was ruled out of the tournament with a shoulder injury and Laurie Evans had his contract torn up after a positive anti-doping test. Mills is a seasoned performer on the global T20 circuit and is no stranger to Australian conditions where he has collected 21 wickets in three previous BBL seasons. But he has only played two matches since the end of June after having surgery on a toe injury in August and didn't play in the T20 World Cup despite being in the England squad.

Faf du Plessis – South Africa (replacement player) 

Availability: First half 

Another player who caused a stir when he wasn't picked up in the draft but Faf du Plessis eventually made his way onto a BBL|12 list as a replacement for Laurie Evans. The South African veteran comes into the Big Bash this summer following an outstanding 2022 in T20 cricket where he has been the world's 13th most prolific batter in the format with 1229 runs at 31.51 that included 468 runs at 31.20 with Royal Challengers Bangalore in the Indian Premier League and 332 at 41.50 for St Lucia Kings in the Caribbean Premier League. "Faf has been outstanding when playing for the Proteas in Australia, and he's no stranger to the sort of pace and bounce that (Perth) Stadium offers," said WA Cricket General Manager High Performance Kade Harvey. "We believe his versatility, experience and leadership will be really valuable to our squad, and we can't wait to get him around the group."

Adam Lyth – England (replacement player)

Availability: First eight games

The powerful left-handed Yorkshire opener replaces the injured Phil Salt and arrives in Perth fresh from an outstanding Hundred campaign for the Northern Superchargers this year, blasting 299 runs at 37.37 with a strike rate 175.88. He also owns the highest individual T20 score in the history English domestic cricket with 161 off 73 balls against Northants in 2017.

Stephen Eskinazi – England (replacement player)

Availability: Full season

The right-hander captains Middlesex’s T20 side and is capable of batting anywhere in the line-up, boasting an impressive record of 1955 runs at 35.54 in 64 T20s with the county. A holder of Australian and UK passports, Eskinazi will play as an overseas player in BBL|12. He has experience playing in Australian conditions, having represented WA's Under-17 and Under-19 sides and is also a regular for Claremont-Nedlands Premier club during the southern summer and blasted an unbeaten 51-ball 80 against Fremantle last month.

Perth Scorchers BBL|12 squad: Ashton Agar, Cameron Bancroft, Jason Behrendorff, Cooper Connolly, Cameron Green, Aaron Hardie, Peter Hatzoglou, Nick Hobson, Josh Inglis, Matthew Kelly, Mitch Marsh, Tymal Mills (England), Lance Morris, Jhye Richardson, Ashton Turner (c), Andrew Tye. Replacement player: Faf du Plessis (South Africa), Adam Lyth (England), Stephen Eskinazi (England), Hamish McKenzie, David Payne (England)

Sydney Sixers 

Chris Jordan – England (pick 5 – Platinum) 

Availability: First half 

The crafty right-armer played a crucial role in England's T20 World Cup victory with three wickets in the semi-final against India and two in the final against Pakistan after being recalled to the XI following an injury to speedster Mark Wood. Jordan returns for a second consecutive season with the Sixers and a fifth in the BBL after previous stints with the Strikers, Thunder and Scorchers. He has 32 Big Bash wickets in 30 matches.

James Vince – England (pick 13 – Gold) 

Availability: First half 

The England opener returns to the BBL club where he has spent the past four seasons, forming a formidable relationship with Josh Philippe at the top of the order. He has 1278 runs in 48 matches for the club with a top score of 98no and comes into BBL|12 in impressive touch after scoring 60 against Australia in Sydney's second ODI last month and topping the T20 Blast run chart this year with 678 runs at 48.42, including two centuries. "He's a part of the furniture at the Sixers now, we all love him and want him to come back every year," said Philippe. "I also love batting with him as well, he's got such a cool head on him and he's an absolutely exceptional player."

Izharulhaq Naveed – Afghanistan (pick 28 – Bronze) 

Availability: Full season 

A bold choice by the Sixers in August's BBL|12 Draft with the Afghanistan teenage leg-spin sensation plucked from obscurity after an impressive showing against Australia at the U19 World Cup in January. But Sixers' mastermind Greg Shipperd says 19-year-old Izharulhaq Naveed complements the other spinners already in their squad in Stephen O'Keefe, Nathan Lyon and Todd Murphy. Izharulhaq claimed 12 wickets from 10 matches with an economy rate of 6.56 during Afghanistan's Shpageeza Cricket League this year.

Sydney Sixers BBL|12 squad: Sean Abbott, Jackson Bird, Dan Christian, Ben Dwarshuis, Jack Edwards, Mickey Edwards, Moises Henriques (c), Daniel Hughes, Chris Jordan (England), Hayden Kerr, Nathan Lyon, Todd Murphy, Izharulhaq Naveed (Afghanistan), Steve O'Keefe, Kurtis Patterson, Josh Philippe, Jordan Silk, James Vince (England). Replacement players: Steve Smith, Josh Kann, Naveen-ul-Haq Murid (Afghanistan)

Sydney Thunder 

Alex Hales – England (pick 15 – Gold) 

Availability: First half 

Another Englishman who has become part of the furniture at his BBL club. No doubt his form at the top of the order for the Thunder over the past three seasons helped catapult him back into England contention where he dominated in their World Cup title run, with his 212 runs at 42.40 that included an astonishing 86no in the semi-final against India, saw him selected in the Team of the Tournament alongside opening partner Jos Buttler. Is the BBL's all-time leading overseas run-scorer with 1857 at an exceptional strike rate of 151.34.

Rilee Rossouw – South Africa (pick 18 – Sliver) 

Availability: First half 

Rossouw became only the second men's player to hit two consecutive T20 international centuries when he blitzed 109 against Bangladesh during the T20 World Cup in Sydney in October. The left-handed power-hitter returned to South African colours earlier this year after the UK exited the European Union and has blasted 372 runs at a strike rate of 176.30 in 10 T20I innings since his return. BBL|12 will be his second stint in the Australian tournament after seven matches for the Renegades in BBL|10.

Fazalhaq Farooqi – Afghanistan (replacement player) 

Availability: Played the first four matches before his contract was terminated

Renowned for producing world-class spinners, Fazalhaq Farooqi has become the first Afghanistan speedster to make a name for himself on Aussie soil with an outstanding performance in the T20 World Cup. The 22-year-old tearaway captured the wickets of Cameron Green and Matthew Wade to finish with 2-29 as Afghanistan almost caused a boilover against Australia in Adelaide. He backed in up with 4-49 in his next match for his country, an ODI against Sri Lanka, to come into BBL|12 in excellent form. He is a replacement for the Thunder’s top draft pick David Willey who has since made himself unavailable for the tournament. "We fully expect Fazalhaq will only further enhance the growing reputation of cricketers from Afghanistan being fearless cricketers and extraordinary entertainers," said Head of Sydney Thunder, Andrew Gilchrist.

Usman Qadir – Pakistan (replacement player)  

Availability: Full season depending on international selection 

Once intending to claim Australian citizenship and forge an international career Down Under, the son of Pakistan bowling legend Abdul Qadir has since returned his allegiance to the country of his birth, playing 23 T20 internationals for a return of 29 wickets after making his debut in November 2020. The former Prime Minister's XI, WA and Scorchers representative was a standby player for Pakistan during the T20 World Cup and will provide leg-spin cover for the Thunder while Tanveer Sangha recovers from a back stress fracture that has kept him sidelined so far this season.

Sydney Thunder BBL|12 squad: Ben Cutting, Oliver Davies, Brendan Doggett, Matthew Gilkes, Chris Green, Alex Hales (England), Baxter Holt, Nathan McAndrew, Blake Nikitaras, Alex Ross, Rilee Rossouw (South Africa), Daniel Sams, Gurinder Sandhu, Jason Sangha (c), Tanveer Sangha, David Warner, Sam Whiteman. Replacement players: Fazalhaq Farooqi (Afghanistan), Usman Qadir (Pakistan), Toby Gray, Joel Davies