On Tuesday, January 7, the Australian Test team will begin play in the BBL 14 season, which has experienced a sharp rise in attendance and viewership throughout the first 25 games.
Beau Webster (Melbourne Stars), Alex Carey (Adelaide Strikers), Sam Konstas (Sydney Thunder), Sean Abbott (Sydney Sixers), Mitchell Marsh (Perth Scorchers), and Jhye Richardson (Perth Scorchers) are all available for the remainder of the BBL season.
To best prepare them for their upcoming international cricket responsibilities after the demanding Border-Gavaskar Trophy series, the remaining members of the Test squad will follow individual management plans that have been developed in partnership with Cricket Australia and the players over the course of the next few weeks.
Steve Smith of the Sydney Sixers will be available for three games starting on Saturday, January 11.
Usman Khawaja and Marnus Labuschagne (Brisbane Heat) will be eligible for their team’s final home game on Thursday, January 16 at the Gabba.
This season, Pat Cummins of the Sydney Thunder, Travis Head of the Adelaide Strikers, Nathan Lyon of the Melbourne Renegades, Mitchell Starc of the Sydney Sixers, Scott Boland of the Melbourne Stars, and Josh Hazlewood of the Sydney Sixers will not participate.
“Fantastic cricket and incredible fan experiences have been produced by the BBL 14 season, which has so far drawn record attendance and broadcast viewers.
“After their historic Border-Gavaskar Trophy victory, we are grateful for their commitment to the BBL and delighted to see so many Australian Test players joining the competition starting tonight,” said Alistair Dobson, executive general manager of Cricket Australia’s Big Bash Leagues division.
Ben Oliver, Executive General Manager, National Teams, Cricket Australia, commended the Test squad for their BGT 2024–25 victory and emphasized the importance of managing player workload.
“We are extremely proud of the Australian Men’s Test team’s outstanding achievement in winning the Border-Gavaskar Trophy again and reaching the ICC World Test Championship finals for the second time.
“The intensity of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy only added to the demanding nature of a five-Test match series. The players and staff deserve a lot of credit for their preparation and management, which have enabled steady success in spite of a rigorous international schedule.
We have worked together to develop specialized strategies to assist each player in recovering from the Border-Gavaskar Trophy and preparing for upcoming international commitments, including the tour to Sri Lanka and the ICC Champions Trophy. Whenever possible, this covers players who will be playing for their clubs during the next two weeks of the current BBL season.
India
