Draft card: Strikers add batting depth for BBL|13

Draft picks: Rashid Khan (Platinum), Jamie Overton (Gold), Adam Hose (Bronze)

Draft spend: $780,000

Total payment pool post-draft: $2.22 million of $3m

By drafting Rashid Khan and Jamie Overton in the platinum and gold tiers, the Strikers locked away two of their six marquee player spots in the draft. Under new contracting rules announced in April – made possible by the new five-year Memorandum of Understanding between CA and the Australian Cricketers' Association – each club's total payments pool for players has increased by almost 58 per cent from $1.9m to $3m for BBL|13.

A part of that $3m, each BBL club must have a minimum of six players (whether domestic, overseas or CA-contracted) who are paid $200,000 or more per season. The six marquee players at each club must collectively be paid a minimum of $1.7m in BBL|13 with all overseas players taken with a silver selection or higher considered marquees.

Chris Lynn, who signed a new one-year deal last month to return to the Strikers for another season, is likely to fill one of the other marquee spots, while Matt Short, their top run-scorer for the past two seasons, also inked a new three-year deal ahead of the season.

Overseas availability

The club's all-time leading wicket-taker Rashid will be available for up to the first eight games before heading to the South African league to link up with MI Cape Town, while Overton and Adam Hose will be available for the full home-and-away season.

The Strikers will be able to sign an overseas replacement player for Rashid for their final two games of the regular season, and Overton and Hose for finals should they wish to, as long as that player was one for the original 374 that nominated for the BBL|13 Draft.

BBL|13 squad (so far): Wes Agar, James Bazley, Cameron Boyce, Alex Carey, Brendan Doggett, Travis Head, Henry Hunt, Thomas Kelly, Rashid Khan (Afghanistan), Ben Manenti, Jamie Overton (England), D'Arcy Short, Matt Short, Henry Thorton, Jake Weatherald, Chris Lynn

Ins: James Bazley (Heat), Brendan Doggett (Thunder), D'Arcy Short (Hurricanes)

Outs: Peter Siddle (Renegades)

Uncontracted from BBL|12: Harry Conway, Ryan Gibson, Harry Nielsen

Draft strategy

Apart from the obvious strategy of 'retain Rashid Khan at all costs', the Strikers lengthened their batting order by re-drafting Englishman Hose and one-Test fast bowler Overton, who has developed into a lower-order finisher in the Hundred. At times over the past two seasons the Strikers have fell away towards the back end of the innings, and after Lynn departed for the UAE league last season, they lost their last five games to miss out on finals.

"Jamie is a big-hitting middle-order player who can bowl quick and is good in the field," Strikers head coach Jason Gillespie said. "He compliments our list, we're really comfortable with our top order batting, we just think some power in the middle to add to top order players D'Arcy Short, Chris Lynn, Jake Weatherald and Matt Short makes this a good fit for us."

Squad gaps

It's been a huge off-season at the Strikers – they've added pace bowling depth with James Bazley and Brendan Doggett, another top-order batting option in D'Arcy Short and re-signed Short and Lynn, their two leading run-scorers from last season. Add Hose and Overton to the middle-order and the Strikers have a deep batting line-up this season. The one area they perhaps lack is a proven death bowler after the departure of Peter Siddle. But with one domestic list spot remaining, and Harry Nielsen still off contract, they also need a back-up wicketkeeper for when Alex Carey is away on Test duties. Other unsigned Strikers from last season include quicks Harry Conway and replacement player Jordan Buckingham who has excelled for Australia A of late, while experienced fast bowler Chris Tremain is currently without a deal for BBL|13.

Draft Card 2023: Strikers | Heat | Hurricanes | Scorchers | Renegades | Stars | Sixers | Thunder