Big Bash League: England player watch and tournament preview

The festive season is upon us, which means franchise cricket comes into full flow, and whilst the England Test side head to Adelaide in a desperate bid to save their Ashes hopes, a number of domestic white-ball players are arriving ahead of the 15th edition of Australia’s Big Bash League.

Australia’s premier T20 competition is nestled firmly between Dubai’s ILT20 and South Africa’s ever-growing SA20, leaving fans and, in some cases, even players juggling between a busy period of white ball cricket – perhaps a welcome distraction to even the most traditional England red-ball fans.

The BBL gets underway on Sunday, December 14, as Perth Scorchers host Sydney Sixers in a high-profile clash at the Optus Stadium, with the final set for Sunday, January 25.

Meanwhile, the first meetings of the much-anticipated ‘Sydney Smash’ and Melbourne Derby are scheduled for December 20 and January 4, respectively.

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Which England players are involved?

As ever, there is a strong English representation in the BBL, with 13 players in total, all hoping they will fare better than their Test counterparts currently Down Under.

In terms of the England white-ball squad ahead of the upcoming tour to Sri Lanka and subsequent ICC World T20 campaign, Jamie Overton, Luke Wood (both Adelaide Strikers) and Sam Curran (Sydney Sixers) will be the names to keep a close eye on their progress – the latter repping the distinctive magenta shirt in his maiden BBL stint.

All-rounder Rehan Ahmed, who was ruled out of the England Lions tour after suffering a muscle strain in the Ashes warm-up fixture at Lilac Hill last month, is still expected to feature in the competition for the first time with the defending champions Hobart Hurricanes, alongside former England pace bowler Chris Jordan, who is embarking on his eighth campaign.

BBL cult hero Laurie Evans heads back to Western Australia with Perth Scorchers after a season at the Melbourne Renegades, where the man-of-the-match from the 2021-22 final will link up with crafty left-arm seamer David Payne, who played for the Scorchers in the 2022-23 edition.

Elsewhere, Joe Clarke and Tom Curran both return to the Melbourne Stars, whilst wicketkeeper Sam Billings and top order batter Tom Alsop were also re-signed by Sydney Thunder and Brisbane Heat, respectively.

Exciting prospect Jafer Chohan will be hoping to build on his first season at the Sydney Sixers, with the Yorkshire leg-spinner aiming for more game time this time around, whilst Reece Topley may play in the competition for the first time in four years after Sydney Thunder added the experienced left-arm bowler as a replacement for the first half of the season.

Who are the other overseas players?

The BBL is always up against it when it comes to attracting the biggest names in the world due to the congested nature of the schedule, with international fixtures and competing franchise tournaments also taking place.

But this season has seen three statement signings made to help elevate the competition’s reputation, with a headline trio leading an influx of Pakistan imports, all of whom arrive in Australia for their first taste of the BBL.

Babar Azam will call the SCG his home for the next few weeks and could open alongside Steve Smith after the Ashes has concluded in a blockbuster-looking Sixers lineup.

Meanwhile, wicketkeeper Mohammad Rizwan was snapped up by Melbourne Renegades and the eagle has landed at the Gabba as left-arm quick Shaheen Afridi gears up for a stint with 2023-24 champions Brisbane Heat.

Hasan Ali (Adelaide Strikers), Hassan Khan (Melbourne Renegades), Haris Rauf (Melbourne Stars) and Shadab Khan (Sydney Thunder) complete the Pakistan cohort, with Rishad Hussain (Hobart Hurricanes) flying the flag for Bangladesh.

Kiwi’s Colin Munro (Brisbane Heat), Tim Seifert (Melbourne Renegades), Finn Allen (Perth Scorchers) and Lockie Ferguson (Sydney Thunder) all return from the 2024-25 season, but there are no South African or West Indies players involved.

39-year-old spinner Ravi Ashwin was set to become the first male Indian player in BBL history after signing for Sydney Thunder, but a knee injury has since ruled out his involvement entirely.

What about Australia’s Ashes stars?

As was the case with the Border-Gavaskar Trophy series last year, the BBL will once again commence without a number of Australia’s leading players available due to their involvement in the Test squad, many of whom have rarely featured, if at all, in the competition across recent seasons.

The fifth Ashes Test is scheduled to finish in Sydney on January 8, meaning theoretically there will be a ten-day window until the end of the league stage and the finals commence.

It is expected key batters such as Travis Head and Steve Smith will slot straight in with their respective teams as preparations for the World T20 ramp up, though a decision will need to be made regarding workload management for certain players after a gruelling Test series – namely Mitchell Starc who recently retired from T20I’s – whilst the likes of Pat Cummins, Cameron Green and Josh Hazlewood are not currently contracted to a franchise.

Team Guide

Defending champions

Perennial underachievers Hobart Hurricanes finally ended their hoodoo in 2024-25 as they stormed their way to a maiden BBL triumph and they maintain that firepower in the form of Tim David and Mitchell Owen, among others, that could take them a long way to defending their crown.

Sydney Thunder were on the receiving end of Owen’s brutal assault with the bat in last year’s final, but have maintained the core of their squad to make another bid with depth in batting and an array of spin options at their disposal.

Sydney Sixers will be out to avenge their cross-town defeat to the Thunder in the Challenger play-off and, on paper, certainly look the team to beat with a stacked batting order and international-quality seamers, even before you potentially add Steve Smith and Mitchell Starc back into the mix.

Melbourne Stars recovered from a dreadful start to reach the knockout stages for the first time since 2019-20 under Peter Moores and boast two gun match winners in Glenn Maxwell and Marcus Stoinis, though there remains question marks whether they possess enough quality in the squad to mount a challenge as now the only franchise yet to win the title.

Record winners

Record five-time winners Perth Scorchers are always thereabouts, with a fifth-placed finish last year their lowest position in five seasons. They should be in the conversation again, spearheaded by Australia T20 captain Mitch Marsh at the top of the order, though have undergone a transition in their pace attack and will likely be without key player Josh Inglis for the early stages.

Melbourne Renegades have historically found themselves more often towards the foot of the standings, but have the makings of a team to watch with some smart recruitment, bringing in experienced seamers Jason Behrendorff and Andrew Tye, to add to a hard-hitting batting unit with a nice blend of youth and experience, though perhaps a star player or two short from being serious contenders.

Brisbane Heat endured a miserable defence of their title last time around and will be hoping overseas signing Shaheen Afridi can provide the necessary spark for a side that will need to prove its depth in the absence of the injured Spencer Johnson and the temporary unavailability of a few Australia Test players.

Reigning wooden spoon winners Adelaide Strikers will be expecting a much-improved campaign this time around with new additions to complement a destructive top order in Chris Lynn and Matt Short, as well as a trio of overseas quicks to give a much-needed boost to their bowling stocks.

Young domestic talent to watch

The BBL has provided a platform for a number of young Australian players to showcase themselves, with Mitchell Owen and Cooper Connolly the standout names to gain prominence after stellar performances in 2024-25.

But who are the potential candidates for the upcoming campaign?

Sam Konstas is already a household name after his rapid rise to the Australia Test side, but his omission from the Ashes squad has provided him the opportunity to focus on his domestic form and will be in the spotlight for his form at the top of the order with Sydney Thunder.

Campbell Kellaway is another name being touted as a future Australia Test opener, having recently made back-to-back half-centuries against the touring England Lions, with the 23-year-old southpaw hoping to earn a starting role in the Melbourne Stars lineup.

Oliver Peake was a member of Australia’s U19 World Cup-winning squad in 2024 and will captain their title defence in 2026, a highly-rated left-handed batter who recently made 54 against England Lions and secured his first BBL contract with Melbourne Renegades after making his debut as a replacement player last year – though his opportunities may still be limited.

Mahli Beardman is a 20-year-old Western Australian speedster who is in line for a more prominent role in the Perth Scorchers’ attack with Lance Morris ruled out, having recently been called up to the Australia squad for the T20 series against India and has been clocked in the region of 150km/h.

Left-arm swing bowler Oliver Patterson, 19 (Brisbane Heat), towering quick Marcus Bean, 21 (Hobart Hurricanes) and all-rounder Aidan O’Connor, 19 (Sydney Thunder) are three other names tipped to emerge as breakthrough prospects.

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