Australian Test players to bolster BBL clubs

Australian Test squad members will start playing in the BBL 14 season on Tuesday, January 7, which has seen a notable increase in attendance and viewership throughout the first 25 games.

Mitchell Marsh (Perth Scorchers), Jhye Richardson (Perth Scorchers), Beau Webster (Melbourne Stars), Alex Carey (Adelaide Strikers), Sam Konstas (Sydney Thunder), and Sean Abbott (Sydney Sixers) are all available for the rest of the BBL season.

Over the next several weeks, the remaining members of the Test squad will adhere to individual management plans that have been developed in collaboration with Cricket Australia and the players to best prepare them for their impending international cricket responsibilities following the demanding Border-Gavaskar Trophy series.

Starting on Saturday, January 11, Sydney Sixers player Steve Smith will be available for three games.

On Thursday, January 16 at the Gabba, Usman Khawaja and Marnus Labuschagne (Brisbane Heat) will be eligible for their team’s final home game.

Josh Hazlewood (Sydney Sixers), Travis Head (Adelaide Strikers), Nathan Lyon (Melbourne Renegades), Mitchell Starc (Sydney Sixers), Scott Boland (Melbourne Stars), and Pat Cummins (Sydney Thunder) will not play this season.

“The BBL 14 season, which has so far attracted record attendance and broadcast viewers, has produced fantastic cricket and amazing fan experiences.

We appreciate their dedication to the BBL and are happy to have so many Australian Test players joining the competition starting tonight following their historic Border-Gavaskar Trophy win,” stated Alistair Dobson, executive general manager of Cricket Australia’s Big Bash Leagues division.

In addition to praising the Test team for their BGT 2024–25 triumph, Ben Oliver, Executive General Manager, National Teams, Cricket Australia, emphasised the significance of player workload management.

“The Australian Men’s Test team’s remarkable performance in reclaiming the Border-Gavaskar Trophy and making it to the ICC World Test Championship finals for the second time makes us really proud.

“A five-Test match series is exhausting, and the Border-Gavaskar Trophy’s intensity only made it worse. Great praise should be given to the players and staff for their management and preparation, which have allowed for consistent success despite a demanding international schedule.

In order to help each player recuperate from the Border-Gavaskar Trophy and get ready for future international obligations, such as the tour to Sri Lanka and the ICC Champions Trophy, we have collaborated with them to create customised plans. This includes, whenever feasible, players playing for their clubs throughout the current BBL season over the next two weeks.