Melbourne, Nov 14 (IANS): Cricket Australia has announced a major shake-up in the way players move between Big Bash League (BBL) franchises, introducing a 10-day player movement window akin to the Australian Football League’s (AFL) trade period.
The newly implemented windows will come in effect following the end of both the men's and women’s Big Bash competitions. The Women’s Big Bash League (WBBL) window will open the day after the final match, running from 9 am on December 2 through to 5 pm on December 11.
The men's BBL trade window is scheduled from January 28 to February 6.
This change in player movement rules will provide teams with the opportunity to trade players with rival clubs, sign players in the final year of their contracts from other franchises, and even trade overseas player draft positions either as part of or independently of player trades.
Such an approach seeks to ensure the league maintains a high level of competitiveness, intrigue, and long-term stability.
One critical aspect of this new window is that clubs will be prohibited from re-signing currently contracted players during this period, including those in the final year of their deals. Teams will have to either finalise contract extensions during the regular season or wait until the end of the trade window, emphasising careful strategy and proactive planning.
For roster management, WBBL teams will be allowed to sign up to eight players before the window opens and up to 10 at its conclusion. For BBL franchises, the limits are slightly higher, allowing for 10 signings before and 12 after the window closes. Pre-signed overseas players, should they be on multi-year deals, will count towards these limits, affecting high-profile stars like Marizanne Kapp, Amelia Kerr, and Sophie Devine in the WBBL and Sam Billings, Chris Jordan, and Tom Curran in the BBL.
Alistair Dobson, Cricket Australia's executive general manager of Big Bash Leagues, hailed the change, saying, “The introduction of player movement windows immediately following the Weber WBBL|10 and KFC BBL|14 seasons will add another strategic dimension to our leagues," Dobson was quoted by Cricket Australia as saying.
He emphasised the impact this move would have on certainty and stability for both players and clubs during crucial stages of roster management.
Dobson also highlighted the importance of growing interest among fans, media and broadcasters with this new structure, stating, “These new milestones on the Big Bash calendar will also increase talkability among our fans, broadcasters, and the media as we grow our year-round presence.”