BBL Draft & Contracting — How Overseas Signings Work
Teams →Players →The BBL is not an IPL-style auction. Overseas players come through a draft with salary bands, retention picks and pre-signings — here is the real mechanism, labelled accurately.
Draft, not auction — the honest label
Many fans search for a 'BBL auction'. The Big Bash does not run one. Since 2022, overseas players are allocated through an overseas player draft, while Australian domestic players are signed directly by clubs under the salary cap. Calling it an auction would be wrong — this page uses the league's real terms.
Format and rules
The draft runs over four rounds; every club makes one pick per round and may pass once. Clubs must use at least three selections (including any pre-signed player) and can register a maximum of three overseas players in an 18-player primary squad. Each club also holds one retention pick: if a rival drafts a player the club is eligible to retain, it has a short window to match the pick and keep him. Clubs may also pre-sign one overseas player per team on a multi-year deal before the draft — that player is still formally taken in the round matching his salary band, and pre-signings must be available for the full season including finals.
Salary bands (BBL|15 bands, unchanged into the current cycle)
| Band | Draft rounds | Salary (AUD) |
|---|---|---|
| Platinum | Round 1 or 2 | $360,000–$420,000 depending on availability |
| Gold | Round 2 or 3 | $300,000 |
| Silver | Round 3 or 4 | $200,000 |
| Bronze | Round 4 only | Up to $100,000 |
Direct pre-signings can be negotiated above the Platinum rate ($420,000 per season for men's players in BBL|15). The first draft in 2022 drew 332 nominations from 20 countries; Liam Livingstone was the inaugural No.1 pick, with Rashid Khan retained by Adelaide in the same round. In the BBL|15 draft (19 June 2025), Shaheen Afridi, Haris Rauf and Mohammad Rizwan headlined the Platinum picks, and Babar Azam's pre-signing with Sydney Sixers was the cycle's biggest story.
BBL|16 signing tracker highlights
Confirmed and tracker-reported BBL|16 moves (checked 23–26 October 2026) include Aneurin Donald to Perth, Trent Boult and Lockie Ferguson to Sydney Thunder, and Michael Bracewell to the Renegades. Full per-club notes sit on each team page, and every signed player has a profile in the players index.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does the BBL have an auction like the IPL?
No. The BBL uses an overseas player draft with four salary bands (Platinum, Gold, Silver, Bronze), retention picks and pre-signings. Domestic Australian players are contracted directly by clubs — there is no open auction.
How much does a Platinum BBL draft player earn?
Platinum players earn between AUD $360,000 and $420,000 depending on their availability, and can only be selected in draft rounds one or two.
What is a BBL retention pick?
Each club can retain one eligible overseas player per draft: if another club selects that player, the holding club can immediately match the pick in the same round to keep him.