BBL clubs given cash to splash on third international

Big Bash clubs are scrambling to splash the cash and secure high-profile overseas T20 superstars by the end of this week following late confirmation a third international can be added to the playing XI this season.

The Australian Cricketers' Association this week agreed to end its opposition to a third international in KFC BBL playing XIs, a stance it has long held on the basis it would take a playing spot away from a local cricketer.

Clubs are now able to add an optional 19th 'marquee' player to their roster that will be paid for out of a pool of money stumped up by Cricket Australia that is in addition to each club's $1.86m salary cap.

But the catch is clubs must lock in their players by the end of this week in order for CA to apply for the necessary government exemptions that would allow those players into the country.

BBL chiefs must approve a player as 'marquee' and will look favourably on players deemed high-profile enough to help bring excitement, marketability and an X-factor to the competition.

While the onus is on the clubs to secure a deal with a player, Trent Woodhill, who joined the BBL as a "player acquisition and cricket consultant" in August, is assisting to connect clubs and players.

CA's marquee funds cannot be used by clubs to 'top-up' deals for players already signed in their 18-player squad.

The addition of a third international to playing XIs will be in effect for the next two BBL seasons before being reviewed.

Quarantine restrictions for BBL players arriving into Australia are yet to be finalised, although it is understood at least one international deal has been jeopardised this week by the prospect of a 'hard' 14-day quarantine, where players will not be allowed out to train.

Complicating matters is England's proposed limited-overs series in South Africa. A number of players already signed up for the BBL are England internationals, and clubs now face the prospect they may not be available until Christmas.

Reports suggest England's players will arrive in Cape Town on November 17 with six matches to start after a 10-day quarantine period.

West Indies players are thought to be of particular interest for 'marquee' roles, and the timing could be advantageous to clubs with a three-match T20 series in New Zealand due to wrap up on November 30.

That would put the likes of T20 veterans Kieron Pollard and Dwyane Bravo as well as rising talent Shimron Hetmyer and Nicholas Pooran firmly in the sights of recruiters – even if only for a select number of matches.

Pooran is understood to have been close to signing on for this summer but was reluctant to commit to a full season having been in biosecure bubbles for the Caribbean Premier League and then the IPL, with the prospect of a West Indies tour of Bangladesh in the New Year.

The option for a short-term splash on a lucrative marquee deal may re-open that door.

It remains unclear at present what quarantine protocols international players travelling from New Zealand to Australia would face although a trans-Tasman travel 'bubble' has opened between the countries in recent days.

Andre Russell remains high on the BBL's wish list of overseas talent and he was this week drafted to join the first season of the Lankan Premier League that will see him travel to Colombo after the IPL for a three-week tournament that runs until December 13.

Russell and other internationals such as Faf du Plessis joining that league have reportedly agreed to the Sri Lankan government's strict 14-day quarantine in which they will not be allowed to leave their hotel rooms.

Talk of a third international had long been mooted ahead of the tenth season of the BBL competition along with other yet-to-be confirmed changes to the playing conditions such as mid-innings bonus points and strategic substitutions.

The option for an extra international player is a welcome boost for the league with COVID19 protocols meaning there will likely be a slightly inflated Test squad this summer that could well take some players, like Melbourne Renegades new recruit James Pattinson, away from their BBL clubs for an extended period.

The likelihood of Australia's Test stars Steve Smith, David Warner and Pat Cummins playing in the BBL will hinge on their workload and ability to spend time with family and loved ones this summer given they face being inside various cricket bubbles and hubs from late August until late January.

The schedule for BBL|10 matches is expected to be released once CA has finalised arrangements for India's tour that will include three ODIs, three T20s and four Tests.

The BBL season is set to begin in the second week of December.