The Big Bash League (BBL) has announced that 376 foreign athletes have signed up for the 2018 season, which will start on December 7.
A number of Pakistani cricketers, including Mohammad Rizwan, Shadab Khan, Haris Rauf, Naseem Shah, and Fakhar Zaman among others, have registered, which is the main takeaway from the announcement.
There has been an interesting spike in player registration as a result of the tournament’s expanded player reward pool. Notably, Shadab will be eligible for retention as the all-rounder has already competed for Hobart Hurricanes in this competition. Haris Rauf, who played four seasons with Melbourne Stars, experienced the same thing.
Rashid Khan, on the other hand, who had previously declared that he would boycott the BBL, has signed up for the event. Cricket Australia declined to conduct a white-ball series against Afghanistan earlier this year due to numerous regulations the Taliban imposed on their territory. The leg-spinner, however, has overcome the disparity.
In the meantime, Alistair Dobson, CA’s general manager of the Big Bash League, acknowledged the wage hike and emphasized their intention to advance the league as a top-tier tournament.
The Big Bash League’s continuous dedication to nurturing a top-notch competition is highlighted by the fact that elite international players are likely to earn more money this season than ever before thanks to an increase in player reward pools. All players and their representatives worldwide are thanked on behalf of the League and our clubs for their support of the Drafts and the Big Bash Leagues. We eagerly anticipate the Drafts on Sunday, he said, according to a Fox Sports report.
Among the many English participants who have signed up for the competition are Harry Brook, Tymal Mills, Phit Salt, James Vince, Alex Hales, Chris Jordan, Sam Billings, and Olly Stone. From Bangladesh, Taijul Islam and Ripon Mondal have registered, but Quinton de Kock, Faf du Plessis, Rilee Rossouw, Wayne Parnell, Rassie van der Dussen and Tabraiz Shamsi among many others from South Africa have registered.