Melbourne Renegades to get first pick in BBL overseas draft for 2022-23 season

Big Bash League (BBL) 2022-23’s draft and the order of the overseas player draft for the next season has been framed through a weighted lottery process on Wednesday (July 20). The weighted lottery is a method introduced to determine the draft order with the help of the team standings from the previous BBL season.

Melbourne Renegades, who finished last in the points table of BBL 2021-22 season, will get the first pick in the overseas draft order while Hobart Hurricanes who finished fifth in the season will go last in the overseas draft order. Defending champions Perth Scorchers have been placed sixth.

Here’s the overseas player draft order for the opening round

1. Melbourne Renegades
2. Melbourne Stars
3. Brisbane Heat
4. Sydney Sixers
5. Adelaide Strikers
6. Perth Scorchers
7. Sydney Thunder
8. Hobart Hurricanes

It has to be noted that there will be four rounds overall with each team selecting a minimum of two and a maximum of three players in total. Round one will consist of a platinum band while rounds two to four will follow a snaking order. Hurricanes will get the first pick in round three which is for Gold or Silver players, while Renegades will have the first pick in rounds two and four.

“Having the opening pick means we can attack the draft with a really clear plan, not just in terms of that specific selection, but also how we utilise our remaining picks to best build our squad,” Melbourne Renegades general manager, James Rosengarten, said as quoted by ESPNcricinfo.

Rashid Khan expected to be retention pick for Adelaide Strikers

According to reports, over 170 players have registered their names for the draft which is set to take place on August 28. The draft is also scheduled to be telecast on Fox Sports after Australia‘s first ODI against Zimbabwe. Each team has been given one retention pick they can use on a player who appeared for them last season and Rashid Khan is expected to be retained by the Adelaide Strikers at first given his match-winning abilities.