Smith, Labuschagne and Khawaja are restricted, while Alex Carey, Sam Konstas, Beau Webster, Mitchell Marsh and Jhye Richardson have all been cleared to play for the remainder of the BBL.
Head is unlikely to play any role in the BBL season despite Scott Boland, Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood, Nathan Lyon and Mitchell Starc all being signed.
Australia are expected to announce their 16-man tour party for the next two Tests in Sri Lanka and the team is scheduled to depart for the UAE for a pre-tour camp on January 19 or 20. That means no one from the touring party will be participating. It can be used for the BBL finals series from January 21st to 27th.
With Josh Inglis, Peter Handscomb, Todd Murphy and Matthew Kuhnemann all joining, it is yet to be seen whether all of the squad will be taken to Sri Lanka for the Sydney Test against India. Glenn Maxwell also has a chance to head to Sri Lanka, but with Australia already securing a place in the World Test Championship, the need for his subcontinent experience has diminished and that is likely to be how the selectors view the 2027 tour of India. Build your squad.
Smith will miss the Sydney Sixers’ clash with the Melbourne Stars at the MCG on Thursday but will be available to play against the Perth Scorches at the SCG on Saturday, while Marsh and Richardson will also be included in the Scorchers squad to face the Renegades. Home on Tuesday night.
Smith is scheduled to play against the Adelaide Strikers on January 15 and Sydney Thunder on January 17, while Konstas is also scheduled to play. Despite finishing the fifth Test a few days ago, Konstas is expected to feature in the Thunder’s match against the Hobart Hurricanes in Sydney tomorrow night, as well as the Thunder’s last four match.
Khawaja and Labuschagne will only be available for the Hurricanes’ home match against the Brisbane Heat on January 16 after taking 10 days off. They will not be able to attend the Heat’s final game against the Renegades in Melbourne on January 18 as they are likely to head overseas the following day.
Interestingly, Carey has been available for the Adelaide Strikers’ last three matches, including the Perth match on January 18. Webster is believed to be available for the Stars on January 19 at this stage. It is understood that, if necessary, the players may make staggered trips to the UAE to play in BBL matches.
Head signed a contract with the Strikers but said he needed rest immediately after the Sydney Test and will not play in that match. Head also has an IPL contract and will have an almost non-stop tour schedule in Sri Lanka, including trips to Pakistan for the Champions Trophy, India for the IPL, England for the WTC final and the Caribbean for three Tests. We plan to keep him on the road until July.
Starc, Hazlewood and Cummins have similar schedules ahead, but Cummins is likely to miss both Sri Lanka Tests for the birth of his second child, while Hazlewood could be ruled out with a calf injury.
Lyon enjoyed a break from the BBL despite a very light workload during the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. But the 37-year-old, who suffered a serious calf injury in 2023, is receiving care ahead of the two Tests in Galle where he looks set to become Australia’s most trusted bowler.
CA’s high-performance team and the BBL have had long discussions about the availability of Test stars during the short period between the Border-Gavaskar Trophy and the tour of Sri Lanka, with the BBL keen to ensure that all players are available for as many games as possible. The national team, coaches and medical staff were very keen to ensure that many of its stars could rest during this precious period without international cricket. CA’s head of national team Ben Oliver said decisions about each player’s BBL availability were made on a basis for each individual program.
“A five-Test match series is very tough and this is amplified by the intensity of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy,” Oliver said. “The players and staff deserve great credit for their preparation and management which has enabled sustained performance throughout the entire international schedule.
“We work with each player to develop an individualized plan that best supports their recovery from the Border-Gavaskar Trophy and preparation for future international commitments, including the tour of Sri Lanka and the ICC Champions Trophy. Wherever possible, this will include players representing the club over the next two weeks.”
BBL general manager Alistair Dobson is delighted to have some of the Test stars competing over the next two weeks.
“On the back of our historic Border-Gavaskar Trophy win, we are delighted to have so many Australian Test players competing from tonight and we thank them for their commitment to the BBL,” Dobson said.
Alex Malcolm is the editor-in-chief of ESPNcricinfo.
