Second BBL draft could hinder push to get best overseas players

The Big Bash League is flying this season, but another draft could hurt its resurgence, with some overseas players fearful of entering.

The Big Bash League could be robbed of a raft of big-name international players next season if it goes ahead with another draft.

While the season is set to be shortened as early as next summer, which could help mitigate the issues with conflicting T20 leagues around the world, the draft could prove to be an avoidable hurdle to ensuring the best players play.

Several coaches are adamant it hinders their chance to put together the best roster, with Melbourne Renegades mentor David Saker revealing several big-names won’t nominate because they only want to play at certain clubs.

Saker, who reprised his coaching role with England during the T20 World Cup, believes relationships coaches form with international players should take precedence in their capacity to re-sign stars who aren’t coming to the BBL for big money, which they can make elsewhere.

“A lot of players want to go to certain clubs, but they can‘t because they’ve put themselves in the draft; they don’t know where they’re going,” Saker told NCA NewsWire on Friday.

“I know a lot of English players that want to come out and play for certain clubs but they’re not putting themselves in a position where they can’t go to the right club. To me that’s madness.

Jos Buttler in the BBL in 2019. Picture: AAP / Darren England

“That would be a worry for me if we could potentially get a Ben Stokes or a Jos Buttler out but we won’t do it because they’re not sure they are gonna end up at the right club.”

The Renegades had the first pick in the inaugural draft and chose English batter Liam Livingstone, who then pulled out of the Big Bash because of injury and international commitments.

Saker signed West Indian megastar Andre Russell, who went undrafted, as a replacement, but only for four games, and would get the first chance at taking him again should the draft go ahead again next season.

But that could mean missing out on spin stars like Akeal Hosein, who made a massive impact on the club.

Saker said the system didn’t allow the BBL to see the best players and coaches rewarded for the relationships they build around the world.

“I know there’s two or three coaches against (the draft) because of that relationship with a lot of international cricketers. It’s not just the three that you’re gonna recruit,” he said.

“If you work in international cricket you’ve got players you’ve worked with all around the world and you know their personalities. You just know that some of them won’t nominate because they don’t want to go into a club they don’t want to go to.

David Saker worked with England during the T20 World Cup. Picture: Robert Cianflone / Getty Images

“I think it also makes for lazy coaching. You sit on your backside until the draft and you go “these are three players we want”. That’s just rubbish.

“I understand the draft, getting a little bit more TV interest, but to me it just does not make sense.”

Saker was adamant the best overseas players didn’t come to the Big Bash for money and the draft just didn’t work.

“They’re coming here because they want to play in a good competition, they want to enjoy themselves and they’re gonna want to go to where the franchise is gonna look after them,” he said.

“That’s different to the IPL, where if you’re given millions of dollars, they’ll go anywhere.

“The draft, in my opinion, didn’t achieve what I think they wanted to achieve.”

Originally published as Second BBL draft could hinder push to get best overseas players