Draft watch: Names to look out for on BBL draft day

Sam Curran

England | 4-6 matches + finals

A canny left-arm swing bowler who can handle himself with the bat, allrounder Curran's career high-point came in the 2022 T20 World Cup final where he was named player of the match in England's win thanks to his incredible figures of 3-12. A regular in the Indian Premier League, Curran captained Punjab Kings in 2024 and has had a couple of stints with Chennai Super Kings. Currently not available for the entire tournament, if selected Curran would be around for finals where he has a strong record; in addition to the aforementioned T20 World Cup, Curran has also won the Hundred twice with the Oval Invincibles.  

Jofra Archer

England | Full season + finals

Very well known to Australian fans, the 30-year Archer is fresh off a promising Indian Premier League campaign where he played all but two matches due to a thumb injury near the end of the tournament. Playing for the Rajasthan Royals, Archer's 12 matches was just as exciting as his 11 wickets, perhaps indicating his body is finally in a good spot. The big caveat is the Ashes, whereby if he is selected in England's Test squad he's unlikely to see any game time in the BBL.

Liam Livingstone

England | 4-6 matches + finals

A Big Bash favourite, Livingstone has previously lit up the league with the Scorchers in BBL|09 and BBL|10. The big-hitting allrounder enjoyed the ultimate success in the Indian Premier League, winning the 2025 title with Royal Challengers Bangalore after his 25 off 15 in the final. The past two summers he has played in South Africa's SA20 league but has committed to the second half of the BBL, including finals, should he be selected.

Saim Ayub

Pakistan | Full season + finals

One of the more exciting talents to emerge from Pakistan in recent years, 23-year-old Ayub is a dashing left-handed opener with all the shots. He hit a superb 82 form 71 in just his second ODI in Adelaide in November last year, and has since added three centuries to his ODI record. Ayub's most recent Pakistan Super League campaign was underwhelming though, managing only 174 runs in 10 innings.

Jimmy Neesham

New Zealand | Full season + finals

Remembered fondly for his almost-heroics in the 2019 ODI World Cup final, Neesham has already had one foray in the Big Bash when he played five games for the Hurricanes in BBL|12. Currently plying his trade for Durham in England's T20 Blast, the 34-year-old would be an answer to a side that is looking for a late-innings finisher. With the ball, Neesham took a five-wicket haul (5-22) in his most recent T20I, against Pakistan in March.

Matthew Forde

West Indies | Full season + finals

Forde is a canny medium pacer but it was with the bat that the 23-year-old recently made headlines. In the second one-dayer against Ireland in May, Forde struck the fastest half-century in men's ODI history (tied with AB de Villiers), reaching his fifty off only 16 balls, eight of which were sixes. His career economy rate in the Caribbean Premier League is a tidy 7.67, showing he has tricks with the ball too.

Sahibzada Farhan

Pakistan | Full season + finals

With lots of Pakistan talent likely to be snapped up in the draft, opener Sahibzada Farhan is another who will be considered by clubs with a gap at the top of the order. In a breakout 2025 Pakistan Super League campaign, the 29-year-old finished as the tournament's highest run-scorer with 449 in 12 innings with an excellent strike rate of 152.20. He showed he can score at international level too, with a 41-ball 74 earned him player of the match honours against Bangladesh on May 30.

Niroshan Dickwella

Sri Lanka | Full season + finals

Dickwella is one of the more enticing wicketkeeping options in the draft, with lots of international experience and lots of talent with the bat. He's a left-handed striker who can bat at the top of the order or through the middle, and he could be an option for a club like the Stars, who currently don't have a 'keeper signed for BBL|15, or the Scorchers, who have Josh Inglis but might not see much of him because of national duties.

Mark Watt

Scotland | Full season + finals

Scottish spinner Watt rose to prominence during last year's T20 World Cup in the Caribbean with his trademark 'long ball' posing questions to opposition batters.  He's far from a flash in the pan though, the 28-year-old has been playing international cricket for a decade now and averages better than a wicket per match in T20Is. A colourful character, Watt is no mug with the bat either, highlighted by his run-a-bal60 in an ODI against Netherlands earlier this month.

Mehidy Hasan Miraz

Bangladesh | Full season + finals

Bangladesh's new ODI skipper Mehidy is one of the best all-round cricketers in the game today and offers an attractive prospect for teams looking for versatility. In April he scored a century and took a five-wicket haul in the second Test against Zimbabwe, after taking 10 wickets in the first with his crafty right-arm off-spin. At 27 years old, he already has over 300 international wickets to his name.

Other players of note available for the full season:

James Anderson (England), Dinesh Chandimal (Sri Lanka), Saud Shakeel (Pakistan), Qais Ahmed (Afghanistan), Paul Stirling (Ireland), Shan Masood (Pakistan), Abdullah Shafique (Pakistan), Wayne Parnell (South Africa)

Other players of note available for a short stint:

Kane Williamson (New Zealand), Keshav Maharaj (South Africa), Fazalhaq Farooqi (Afghanistan), Kieron Pollard (West Indies), Jason Roy (England)