Babar Azam likely to make BBL debut as teaser video sparks excitement

Pakistan’s star batter Babar Azam is likely to feature in the upcoming Big Bash League (BBL) season, after a promotional teaser video hinted at a major signing involving him.

The video, released by BBL franchise Sydney Sixers on their official social media platforms, showed a glimpse of a player resembling Babar in a Sixers jersey. The clip created a buzz among fans, suggesting the possibility of Babar joining the franchise for BBL Season 15.

While the franchise has not officially confirmed the signing, an announcement is expected soon, possibly before the BBL overseas players’ draft scheduled for June 19.

Cricket Australia recently released the first list of international players eligible for the draft. It includes several top Pakistani cricketers such as Shaheen Shah Afridi, Mohammad Rizwan, Haris Rauf, and Shadab Khan.

Other international stars featured in the initial list include England’s Sam Curran and Alex Hales, New Zealand’s Lockie Ferguson and Tim Southee, Sri Lanka’s Kusal Perera, and West Indies’ fast bowler Shamar Joseph.

The Women’s Big Bash League (WBBL) draft is also set to feature top names, including India’s Jemimah Rodrigues and Shikha Pandey, West Indies’ Deandra Dottin, and Pakistan’s Fatima Sana.

This year, the BBL and WBBL drafts have been brought forward to June to help teams finalize their squads earlier. More than 600 overseas players have registered interest in the upcoming season, according to Cricket Australia.

The Brisbane Heat and Sydney Sixers hold the first picks in the BBL and WBBL drafts, respectively. Each team will pick one player per round across four salary bands — Platinum, Gold, Silver, and Bronze.

Meanwhile, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has granted No Objection Certificates (NOCs) to 13 players, including Babar Azam, Mohammad Rizwan, and Shaheen Shah Afridi, allowing them to play in overseas leagues.

Babar, Rizwan, and Shaheen — who missed Pakistan’s recent T20I series against Bangladesh — have registered for the BBL draft and are cleared to play in the league from December 14 to 28.

Additionally, pacer Haris Rauf has received an NOC to take part in Major League Cricket (MLC) 2025, starting this Friday, while Mohammad Amir has been allowed to continue playing for Essex in the T20 Blast until July 18.