DUBAI: Dubai-based Baseball United has announced its first player draft.Some 80 players were selected, with 20 picks for each of the league’s founding franchises — the Mumbai Cobras, the Karachi Monarchs, and the league’s two UAE-based franchises, the Wolves and Falcons. The inaugural draft is dominated by former Major League Baseball players. Selections included former New York Yankees stars Robinson Cano and Didi Gregorius, both drafted by the Wolves, and three-time World Series champion Pablo Sandoval, drafted by the Falcons. Four-time MLB All-Star Bartolo Colon, and four-time Gold Glove winner Andrelton Simmons, were also among the top picks. Of the 80 players drafted, 56 were originally drafted by MLB teams, with others playing in Japan’s Nippon Professional Baseball League, the Mexican League, the Dominican Republic Professional Baseball League, and other high-level international leagues. Kash Shaikh, chairman, CEO, and majority owner of Baseball United, said: “Each milestone is important when you’re building something from nothing. “But yesterday’s draft is our biggest thus far. Putting players on teams makes everything much more real for everyone involved. We now have 80 high-caliber, professional baseball players to help build the foundation of this league. “There’s a lot of diversity in this group, from age and experience to skill set and nationality. We have all-stars, former top draft picks, and a mix of veterans and younger guys to help carry the game across the world. “I’m very happy for all our players, and very grateful to John Miedreich, Eddy Diaz, and our entire baseball operations team for bringing this group together.” Baseball United’s drafted players come from 25 countries, including 36 from the US, eight from the Dominican Republic, four from Curacao, and three each from Canada, Italy, and Venezuela. Some 44 of the drafted players, with six prospects from the Indian subcontinent and the GCC (Gulf Cooperation Council) region, will compete in Baseball United’s All-Star Showcase next month in Dubai. The event will feature two teams playing a two-game series on Nov. 24-25 at Dubai International Stadium.