International Twenty20 stars Nicholas Pooran and Mohammad Rizwan have withdrawn from contention for this summer's Big Bash League only two days after being listed as possible platinum draft picks.
The pair of wicket-keeper batters, who have combined for a total of 165 T20Is, had been ranked among the 25 most elite international players of the 376 that nominated for Sunday's draft.
But the BBL told AAP that scheduling conflicts had forced West Indies' Pooran and Pakistan's Rizwan to make last-minute exits from the tournament that begins on December 7.
They will not be replaced in the platinum band, which will sit at a total of 23 players.
It comes after platinum picks David Willey and Liam Livingstone also made 11th-hour withdrawals last summer, citing personal reasons and workload concerns, respectively.
The platinum pool has been expanded in the second year of the BBL's overseas draft as the league competes for international talent with rival competitions SA20 and ILT20, whose schedules overlap with the BBL's.
Platinum players can be selected in either the first or second round of the draft.
They can earn up to $420,000 if they are available for the entire tournament, which has been condensed from 61 to 44 matches this summer.
English players dominate the platinum pool, with reigning T20 World Cup player of the tournament Sam Billings, Test opener Zak Crawley and BBL favourite Alex Hales among those available.
Afghan spin sensation Rashid Khan is the biggest star on offer, while veteran New Zealand batter Colin Munro and former South African captain Faf du Plessis are listed as well.
