BBL 2022-23 | Sydney Thunder suffer big blow as platinum pick David Willey pulls out of tournament

With the brand new season of BBL all set to start on December 13, the league has suffered a blow as they will miss some of the overseas players in the tournament. In a recent development, David Willey has withdrawn from the tournament after being signed by Sydney Thunder as their platinum pick. He was supposed to participate for the majority of the tournament but the recent move would compel the franchise to look for an overseas replacement.

The reason for the decision was not clarified but an official release from the club mentioned that both parties came to a mutual agreement to terminate his contract. The Head of Sydney Thunder, Andrew Gilchrist confirmed the development.

"David and his management have been tremendous to deal with. Sydney Thunder regrets David won't be playing for us this season, but we wish him and his family all the very best for the future," Gilchrist stated. 

Willey was recently part of the T20 World Cup squad for England but warmed the bench throughout the tournament. He has also been included in the series against England. The league is already struggling as a number of overseas players including Alex Hales and Rilee Rossouw will participate only for a specific number of matches as they have other commitments. So, Willey’s unavailability makes the situation worse for the league. 

Liam Livingstone was the first draft pick for the Melbourne Renegades but his participation was also reduced with a call-up to England’s Test squad for Pakistan.