Take a closer look at the key points and areas of contention ahead of Sunday afternoon’s WBBL|10 overseas player draft

Who will the Hurricanes take with pick No.1?

The Hurricanes scored the coveted first pick in the lottery, and now the question everyone is desperate to know is who they will select. They have the right to retain South Africa quick Shabnim Ismail and if they don’t take her first, they risk losing her to another club in the opening round.

Their pace attack could use an injection of her raw speed, however coach Jude Coleman said last month the club would likely target “the best top-four batter in the draft” with pick No.1 to support pre-signing Lizelle Lee and Elyse Villani. That strategy appears to have solidified with high performance chief Salliann Beams suggesting Ismail’s lack of firepower with the bat made it tough to justify making her top pick.

It makes sense, given the Hurricanes’ have struggled for consistency in their batting. Laura Wolvaardt could be the perfect foil for Lee, and the pair did open together for South Africa several years ago, but there’s a good chance the Strikers would jump in and use their retention pick on Wolvaardt.

If she’s not available, other options could include Alice Capsey, Jemimah Rodrigues or Harmanpreet Kaur. The latter two are potentially more attractive given their availability at the back-end of the tournament. The retention rights could play a big part in the Canes’ thinking, and they’ve got multiple scenarios drawn up because of that, suggesting they’ll be targeting a proven performer.

Can the Strikers keep Wolvaardt after signing Mandhana?

Perhaps the biggest piece of pre-signing news came from the Strikers, when they revealed they had finally lured India superstar Smriti Mandhana to the club after several years of trying. They are keen to also keep South Africa’s Wolvaardt – but with both certain to be Platinum picks, it would place a lot of strain on the Strikers’ salary cap, particularly when they have a squad packed with Australian stars such as vice-captain Tahlia McGrath. What does work in their favour, however – at least in terms of salary cap – is the fact neither Wolvaardt or Mandhana are available for the entire tournament, and would only overlap for a period in the middle.

Where will Sophie Ecclestone end up?

The news the world’s best T20 bowler had nominated no doubt had ears pricking across the competition. Ecclestone’s all-round skills helped the Sydney Sixers reach the final in WBBL|08 and they would have leapt at the chance to keep her last season, had a shoulder injury not ruled her out prior to the draft. They still hold her retention rights, but have pre-signed New Zealand allrounder Amelia Kerr, and may struggle to fit both into their cap – although with neither available for the entire season, there is a chance both could squeeze in. If they don’t take her with pick No.2, however, expect another team to pounce – the Stars are one club in need of a frontline spinner to support Sophie Day.

Where will Shabnim Ismail end up?

It seems unlikely the Hurricanes are going to take Ismail with pick No.1 but her talents are undoubted and the fiery South African quick is a strong chance to get snapped up by another club. The complication is clubs have to assign a draft pick to their pre-signed recruit at the appropriate salary band, and most of those would be looking at taking a Platinum spot. The Thunder, Heat and Scorchers are all clubs who could stand to strengthen their pace attacks, and of those, the Heat at least are expected to have a pick in play in round one.

New faces: Who might get drafted for the first time?

One of the most exciting aspects of the WBBL is welcoming new players into the fold. While many tried-and-true star internationals have nominated, clubs could also look to fresh talent – particularly when it comes to their later picks. Proteas opener Tazmin Brits has broken into the top 10 in the ICC’s T20 batting rankings, while Sri Lanka opener Harshitha Samarawickrama (main picture) is enjoying a purple patch and just scored her first international century. Orla Prendergast is an Ireland allrounder of immense talent – and she just hit a maiden ODI ton – while England quick Lauren Filer bowls with serious heat, and allrounder Freya Davies is coming off a successful Hundred. Just to name a few!

Availability factor

Availability is beginning to become an important factor in the women’s draft as bilateral international cricket eats into the WBBL window. The milestone 10th edition of the WBBL will also begin just a week after the T20 World Cup in the UAE and end four days before the first CommBank ODI between Australia and India in Brisbane.

India and New Zealand are scheduled to play three ODIs immediately after the T20 World Cup final in late October, and star nominees from both countries including Harmanpreet Kaur, Jemimah Rodrigues, Suzie Bates and Jess Kerr have all indicated availability of six to nine games plus finals.

South Africa is then set to host England in a multi-format series beginning with three T20Is on November 24 – the same day as the end of the WBBL|10 regular season – with England nominees Heather Knight, Sophie Ecclestone, Danni Wyatt, Amy Jones, Alice Capsey and Sophia Dunkley set to miss the finals if picked up in the draft.

The drafts will be broadcast live across The Seven Network, 7plus, Fox Sports and Kayo Sports. The WBBL|10 Draft will begin at 3pm AEST, with the BBL|14 Draft to follow immediately after. Download the Big Bash app to stay in the loop on the latest draft news, nominations and a live pick tracker.