Cricket Australia has introduced an option in the BBL and WBBL to sign one overseas player on a multi-year contract outside the drafts, in an attempt to stem the mass exodus of players to other leagues hit by the men’s competition, but the player must be available for the entire tournament, including the finals, after next season.
Under the terms of the new contract the Strikers will not have rights to Rashid in the draft if any other club signs him. If Rasheed or another player eligible for the retention option is not signed before the draft, they may be retained under the previous rules.
New multi-year contracts can be negotiated at any price among BBL players, commanding a figure higher than the current overseas draft platinum contract of AUD$420,000. However, the club still has to fit all 18 players in their squad under the AUD$3 million salary cap. Platinum level in WBBL is AUD$110,000.
Overseas players will be allowed to limit their playing availability in the coming season due to pre-existing contracts with other leagues but in the following W/BBL seasons starting from 2025-26, any player who signs a contract outside the draft must be available to play a full season plus finals.
“We are excited to introduce this new contract mechanism for the upcoming WBBL and BBL seasons,” said BBL General Manager Alistair Dobson. “We have worked closely with the clubs and the ACA to develop and enhance the Big Bash and a key focus is to ensure the best players continue to compete in the Big Bash and for a long time.
“The opportunity for international players to sign multi-year contracts with teams not only strengthens the league’s global appeal but also provides clubs with greater stability and strategic planning capabilities.”
January’s T20 crisis
The BBL’s decision to allow multi-year contracts with an availability caveat will partially mitigate against those departures from 2025 but clubs can only sign one player to that contract. They must draft two more in the draft later in the year, making the BBL vulnerable to players leaving the tournament early due to existing contracts in other leagues.
As in the past, there are understood to be BBL clubs that prefer to sign players for all three overseas slots without the draft, but the competition has invested heavily in the draft and believes its risk will add value to the competition.
It remains to be seen whether the new type of contract, which is more taxing in Australia compared to the money on offer in the UAE and South Africa, will be enough to keep players in the BBL for a full season.
The new contract structure in the WBBL will replace the direct nomination route for the 2023–24 season, marking the first time the competition has used an overseas draft. That arrangement meant only 17 players were signed in the draft.
The BBL Agreement window will open
CA announced their new contract mechanism on Tuesday as BBL’s official contract window opens. Clubs can officially trade and sign players in the coming weeks. The BBL allows clubs to retain 10 players on their 18-man roster each season to try and encourage player movement.
Australia’s Test players have an added bonus to their deal this season, making them available for a short window at the back of the BBL. The dates of the competition are yet to be announced but it is likely to start after the Adelaide Test between Australia and India, which concludes on December 10, and will run until approximately January 26.
Another new feature is that clubs will be able to sign any player with a CA contract during the initial retention week, even if they have not previously played for the team.
Australia’s Test players will complete the five-Test series against India on January 7 while the two-Test tour of Sri Lanka will begin around January 31. The players involved will be available for BBL only till January 20. That means those who make themselves available will only play a handful of matches and will not be available for the finals.
Meanwhile, the WBBL schedule, decided in line with the BBL, is still on the cards, with a cut to a 10-game season. Only a limited window is available for the WBBL this season between the end of the T20 World Cup in Bangladesh in late October and the start of the three-match women’s ODI series between Australia and India on December 5.
Alex Malcolm is an Associate Editor at ESPNcricinfo