The latest group of cricketing superstars nominated for the Australia's Big Bash League (BBL) first international draught features the dynamic spinner Rashid Khan from Afghanistan, as well as Kieron Pollard and Dwayne Bravo from the West Indies.
Together, Rashid, Pollard, and Bravo have played 1,476 T20 matches, amassing 20,065 runs and 1,371 wickets. They are the newest star nominees in the draught pool, joining South African batsman Faf du Plessis.
According to a report on Friday in cricket.com.au, Rashid is almost certain to return to Adelaide Strikers after an outstanding run with Gujarat Titans in the Indian Premier League. Head coach Jason Gillespie has already stated that the team "will do everything they can to retain the Afghanistan leg-spinner, who has played 61 matches for the club."
"Pollard and Bravo, whose final BBL seasons were in 2017–18 and 2018–19, respectively, are free agents and unable to be selected by a team as part of a retention pick. Both recently completed a term in England's T20 Blast, whereby Bravo helped the Worcestershire Rapids take nine wickets while Pollard assisted Surrey in reaching the quarterfinals "claimed the article.
The most seasoned T20 cricket player of all time is Pollard, who has played in 598 matches for 18 different teams. He has 11,670 runs at 31.20 and a strike rate of 151, which ranks him third all-time in the format. Former West Indies white-ball captain Pollard retired from international cricket a few months ago, and fellow countryman Bravo did the same following the T20 World Cup in 2021.
Bravo is the second-most capped player with 542 appearances, and he has taken 596 more wickets than Rashid Khan, who has 466, making him the greatest wicket-taker in T20.
Rashid recently played for Sussex in the Blast, picking up eight wickets in six games. If selected in next month's draught, he will return to the BBL with the goal of being the first overseas bowler to amass 100 wickets in the league. He's on 92 right now.
Hazratullah Zazai, an opening batsman for Afghanistan and 24 years old, joins Rashid in the first selection pool with an impressive T20 resume that includes 2,308 runs at a strike rate of 144 in 82 games in the Pakistan, Sri Lanka, and Bangladesh T20 competitions.
Six Afghan cricketers have been nominated, including the pair and fellow leg-spinner Qais Ahmad, who is qualified for retention by the Melbourne Stars after taking 13 wickets in 10 games last season.
Since the draft's announcement last month, there have been 100 nominations in all, and more will probably be added soon.
Along with Pollard and Bravo, Sheldon Cottrell of the West Indies is one of a strong 14-player Caribbean contingent that also includes top-order batsman Evin Lewis and pacer Ravi Rampaul.
Three players of the highest calibre in cricket were selected in the draft, according to Trent Woodhill, player acquisition and cricket consultant for the BBL. The fact that players like Rashid Khan, Kieron Pollard, and Dwayne Bravo nominated him shows how the draught has brought the BBL to the attention of a wider audience, he remarked.
Draft nominations so far:
Afghanistan: Rashid Khan, Qais Ahmad, Fazalhaq Farooqi, Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Waqarullah Ishaq, Izharulhaq Naveed, Naveen-ul-haq Murid, Hazratullah Zazai.
Namibia: David Wiese.
New Zealand: Colin Munro, Todd Astle.
South Africa: Faf du Plessis, Marchant de Lange, Rilee Rossouw.
West Indies: Dwayne Bravo, Kieron Pollard, Sheldon Cottrell, Chemar Holder, Akeal Hosein, Evin Lewis, Anderson Phillip, Khary Pierre, Ravi Rampaul, Sherfane Rutherford, Jayden Seales, Kevin Sinclair, Tion Webster, Nyeem Young.