Rishad Hossain picked again by Hobart Hurricanes in Big Bash draft
Rishad was also bought by Hobart in the previous BBL season.
Bangladesh leg-spinner Rishad Hossain has once again been picked by Hobart Hurricanes for Australia's T20 tournament, the Big Bash League (BBL). At the draft held today at NEP Studios in Melbourne, Rishad was selected as the 13th overall pick.
Rishad was also bought by Hobart in the previous BBL season. However, due to Bangladesh's tour of the West Indies, the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) did not grant him a No Objection Certificate (NOC). Though Rishad could not play, Hobart went on to win the title for the first time in the team's history. Before him, Shakib Al Hasan was the only Bangladeshi cricketer to play in the BBL.
This year's draft saw significant interest in Pakistani players, particularly left-arm pacer Shaheen Shah Afridi, who was the first overall pick. In total, seven Pakistani players were drafted this season.
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Afridi is set to play the full BBL season for the first time. Brisbane Heat did not hesitate to select him with their first pick. The team also includes Spencer Johnson, Michael Neser, and Xavier Bartlett.
Melbourne Stars used their 'retention pick' to keep Haris Rauf after Adelaide Strikers showed strong interest in picking him with the second overall selection. But Stars retained him.
With the fourth pick, Melbourne Renegades brought in Mohammad Rizwan, even though they had already pre-signed wicketkeeper-batter Tim Seifert. Still, the team opted to include Rizwan in their squad.
A total of 11 Bangladeshi cricketers entered the draft, including Mustafizur Rahman, Mehidy Hasan, Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Tanzim Hasan, Tanzid Hasan, Shamim Hossain, Taijul Islam, Hasan Mahmud, Soumya Sarkar, and Towhid Hridoy. Among them, only Rishad secured a team. Hobart Hurricanes also picked English leg-spinner Rehan Ahmed.
This season of the Big Bash League begins on 21 December.
