The WBBL’s overseas draft is looming around the corner, and for some clubs it could be the make or break of their season.
Big changes have hit some of the WBBL squads with new coaches signing on and impactful players departing teams.
The Hobart Hurricanes, Brisbane Heat, Sydney Sixers, and Sydney Thunder are the clubs to keep your eye on in this year’s overseas draft, with each positioned to make bold and strategic moves that could reshape their seasons.
Hobart Hurricanes
The Hurricanes are probably the only team where it is not very clear as to who they will be trying to add to their team.
With Lizelle Lee now considered a local player this opens a spot for an extra overseas player.
Hurricanes 2024 picks Chloe Tyron and Danii Wyatt-Hodge did not make much of a splash, with Tyron only scoring 83 runs in 6 innings and taking four wickets, and Wyatt-Hodge only averaging 17 in her last 7 matches.
The Hurricanes may look to replace Wyatt-Hodge with a more dynamic and explosive top-order batter, whether this is someone who has already played in the WBBL or someone new.
As the only team to never have played in the grand final before, the Hurricanes will look to overseas players who can help change this for them.
Brisbane Heat
The Brisbane Heat have a Laura Harris shaped hole in their middle order. They may look to fill this hole with their international signings if one of their existing players can’t fill in.
With De Klerk already signed on, Jemimah Rodriques is the next obvious choice for the Heat.
Rodriques had a cracking season with Brisbane last season, working well with their top order batsmen Grace Harris and Georgia Redmayne.
As for their other Indian signing last year, Shikha Pandey, it is hard to say if they will be looking to retain her and maintain a team nearly identical to the one that led them to the grand final last year, or not.
The Brisbane Heat need to think about where in their line-up requires the most change, and whether a new international signing could be the change they need to win the competition this year.
Sydney Sixers
The Sydney Sixers have already signed on one of the most talented and game-changing cricketers, Amelia Kerr.
The Sixers are known for always having a very strong team on paper but can never seem to utilise that talent to their advantage.
Last year they retained Sophie Ecclestone after the Hobart Hurricanes tried to poach her. It seems likely that they will retain Ecclestone again as she is such a crucial part of this team.
Ashleigh Gardner of the Sixers is congratulated by team mate Sophie Ecclestone. (Photo by Bradley Kanaris/Getty Images)
New coach Matthew Mott may look to take an unexpected approach to this year’s draft to get the Sixers back on the championship track. Whether this is signing a lesser known international player or poaching a big name such as unsigned Sydney Thunder Heather Knight.
Signing Heather Knight would strength the sixers top order batting line-up and add diversity and experience to the bowling line-up.
Sydney Thunder
Each club has one retention pick, meaning that if another club tries to poach an international player they already have on their roster they can retain them.
This means that it is very possible that the Sydney Thunder are going to make a choice between retaining either Heather Knight or Shabnim Ismail.
If no other teams want either Knight or Ismail it is very likely that Thunder will keep both. Although if either are poached they will be forced to fill the gap.
If Ismail is poached or not chosen they will need to fill the pace bowling void that Sammy Jo-Johnston with someone just as explosive.
The draft is set to be on the 19th of June and with so many big names still up for grabs, the 2025 overseas draft is setting up to be the most pivotal yet.
Whether it is clubs looking to rebuild, fill gaps in their line-up, or keep their squad the same, the decisions made on draft day could determine who lifts the trophy this year.
