ETPL 2026 PLAYER DRAFT: WHO WILL BE THE HOTTEST BOWLING PICKS?

It’s mostly the batters who dominate the highlight reels, but let’s be honest, no cricket team can overlook the bowlers. Just look at what happened in the recent Ireland vs India T20I series, where the Irish bowlers completely dominated proceedings, putting the reigning T20 World champions to the sword.

With 270 players in the ETPL Draft 2026 pool and only six picks per team, don’t be surprised if a number of bowlers become hot picks (in order of being picked in the draft), depending of course on the pre-signed players they already have on their rosters. Cut away the all-rounders and the utility seamers, and three names stand out as perhaps the purest, most bankable wicket-takers on the board. 

Fred Klaassen (Left-arm fast medium bowler from the Netherlands)

Hey all teams, if you make one bowling pick count, make it Klaassen. Standing 6 feet 4 inches tall and with the ability to swing the new ball back into the right-hander, the 33-year-old seamer is perhaps the most complete quick in the pool. His resume reads like a scouting director's wish-list : a 2021 Vitality Blast title with Kent, including career-best figures of 4-17 in the semi-final, a stint in The Hundred with Manchester Originals, and a fresh contract that ties him to Kent through till 2027. His international figures are impressive too - 43 T20I wickets at 23.44 across 39 caps and was named in the Netherlands' squad for the 2026 ICC T20 World Cup. Capable of producing left-arm angle and powerplay swing, and don’t forget death-overs composure – all in in one package — expect him to be gone in the first round of the draft itself.  

Paul van Meekeren (Right-arm fast medium bowler from the Netherlands)

If Klaassen controls, van Meekeren attacks. The Amsterdam-born quick is the Netherlands' all-time leading wicket-taker in T20 World Cup history, with 23 scalps in 16 matches, and that too at an economy of under 7. His career T20 numbers — 86 wickets at 21.29 with a best of 4-11 against Ireland — showcase why he is a genuine game-changer, who can flatten a top order in a single spell. He has been tested in the toughest leagues, from the Caribbean Premier League with St Kitts & Nevis Patriots to county cricket at Somerset, Durham and Gloucestershire. He might be 33, but he brings both raw pace and the experience of being a five-time World Cup campaigner to the table. Teams - if your squad needs a bowler who is a genuine wicket-taker, he might be your man. 

Craig Young (Right-arm fast medium bowler from Ireland)
 
Ireland's Craig Young perhaps has the most proven wicket-taking record of any specialist bowler in the pool: around 87 T20 wickets at 22.24, with five three-wicket hauls and the pace and bounce that first drew comparisons with the 6 foot-7inch Boyd Rankin, who played for both Ireland and England. The Londonderry right-armer has spent a decade rattling international top orders and knows exactly how to bowl in a phase. The one honest caveat could be his age. His age (36) and a long injury history, might make some people wary, but on skill and pedigree alone, he is perhaps the best value-for-experience bowler on the board.