LAHORE: The eagerly anticipated draft list for the 2024 of the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) has been officially released. The draft features a notable presence of Pakistani cricketers across various categories, promising an exciting season ahead.
The BPL 2024 players’ draft will be held on Sunday (September 24). 448 foreign cricketers have registered their names in this year's players' draft. The list includes star cricketers like Colin de Grandhomme, Mohammad Hafeez, Imam-ul-Haq, Shahnawaz Dahani, Dasun Shanaka, Haider Ali etc.
Foreign cricketers are divided into five categories. A total of 18 cricketers are in category 'A'. Sri Lankan cricketers are more on this list. There are 16 cricketers in category 'B'. There are 60 cricketers in the 'C' category. 97 and 257 cricketers have been placed in categories 'D' and 'E' respectively.
Rangpur Riders managed to secure the services of Pakistan skipper Babar Azam and pacer Ihsanullah directly, making them a formidable team to watch in the upcoming season.
Khulna Tigers made significant signings, directly bringing Faheem Ashraf. Fortune Barishal signed Shoaib Malik, Fakhar Zaman, Mohammad Amir, and Abbas Afridi directly.
Chittogram Challengers retained the talented duo of Mohammad Haris and Mohammad Hasnain, showcasing their faith in the young talents.
Comilla Victorians bolstered their squad by including Mohammad Rizwan, Iftikhar Ahmed, Zaman Khan, Khushdil Shah, and Naseem Shah.
Player Categories and Base Prices:
Category A features a base price of $80,000 and includes Pakistan players like Shaan Masood and Haider Ali.
Category B has a base price of $60,000 and comprises players such as Usman Qadir, Ahmed Shahzad, Usama Mir, Mohammad Hafeez, Yasir Shah, and Saud Shakeel.
Category C sets the base price at $40,000 and includes talents like Usman Shinwari, Sharjeel Khan, Shahnawaz Dhani, Kamran Akmal, Arshad Iqbal, Haris Sohail, Mohammad Imran, Abdullah Shafique, Umaid Asif, Aamir Yamin, Ammad Butt, Sameen Gul, Akif Javed, Ahmed Daniyal, and Sohaib Maqsood.
Category D players, with a base price of $30,000, include Salman Irshad, Salman Ali Agha, Anwar Ali, Ehsan Adil, Irfan Khan, Zeeshan Ashraf, Hussain Talat, Kamran Ghulam, Umar Akmal, Rumman Raees, Amir Jamal, Imamul Haq, Zahid Mehmood, Sain Ayub and Mohammad Akhlaq.
Category E players with a base price of $20,000 include Sarfaraz Ahmed, Rohail Nazir, Sohail Tanvir and Zafar Gohar.
The BPL draft has certainly stirred excitement among cricket fans, and the competition is expected to be intense as teams finalize their rosters in preparation for the upcoming season. Stay tuned for more updates on the Bangladesh Premier League.
Sohail Imran Sohail Imran is a senior reporter for Geo News.