Rishad picked again by Hobart for Big Bash 2024–25

Bangladeshi leg-spinner Rishad Hossain has been re-signed by the Hobart Hurricanes for the 2024–25 season of Australia’s T20 tournament, the Big Bash League (BBL). The promising young talent from Bangladesh is set to represent Hobart.

Hobart Hurricanes picked Rishad during the players' draft held on Thursday (June 19) at NEP Studio in Melbourne. The team had also selected him in the previous season.

Rishad is the second Bangladeshi cricketer after Shakib Al Hasan to be selected in a BBL team. However, last time, he couldn’t play due to not getting a No Objection Certificate (NOC) from the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB), as the national team was touring the West Indies at that time. Despite his absence, Hobart Hurricanes won their first-ever title last season. This time, they have picked Rishad again to help defend their championship.

Besides Rishad, 10 other Bangladeshi cricketers registered for this year’s Big Bash draft. They are Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Sheikh Mehedi Hasan, Tanzim Hasan Sakib, Tanzid Hasan Tamim, Shamim Hossain Patwary, Towhid Hridoy, Taijul Islam, Hasan Mahmud, Mustafizur Rahman, and Soumya Sarkar.

However, the spotlight of Thursday’s draft was on the Pakistani players. Shaheen Shah Afridi was the first overall pick, joining Brisbane Heat. In total, seven Pakistani cricketers were selected for the upcoming season.

The 2024–25 Big Bash League is set to kick off on December 21.