COVID forces marquee shake-up as WBBL contracting begins

The late start to the Rebel WBBL contracting period has resulted in a shake-up to the list of Australian marquee players for the upcoming season.

And it means the Strikers head into the contracting period with one more Australian marquee on their list than expected, while the Scorchers have one fewer.

In a typical year, the period in which clubs can sign players begins in February. However, the uncertainly surrounding the ongoing coronavirus pandemic put a halt to that process for many months.

The embargo on contracting for WBBL|06 finally lifted on Friday, a move that is tipped to spark a flurry of signings across the league.

As per previous seasons, each club can sign up to five 'marquee players', with a maximum of three of those from overseas.

So, who qualifies as a marquee player?

Put simply, it's any overseas player, or a local player who holds a Cricket Australia national contract at the start of the WBBL signing period.

In a normal year, the WBBL signing period begins months before the next summer's national contract list is decided, so players are considered a marquee if they had a CA contract in the previous season.

Basically, it meant there was a one-year lag in who counts as a marquee.

Before the pandemic, clubs would have expected the 16 players who held Australian contracts for the 2019-20 season to fill the marquee slots for WBBL|06.

Instead, only the 15 players who were awarded deals for the 2020-21 season will count as marquees.

Fortunately for the clubs, it doesn't appear this change will cause too many headaches, and it certainly makes the marquee fine print simpler to understand for the rest of us!

For the Adelaide Strikers, Tahlia McGrath is considered a marquee after earning her first CA contract this year, meaning the Strikers already have three marquees on their list instead of the two (Megan Schutt and Suzie Bates) they would have been planning for.

There's been a straight swap at the Melbourne Stars, with Elyse Villani dropping off the marquee list after losing her CA contract, and Annabel Sutherland taking her place.

The Perth Scorchers have all five marquee spots available after Nicole Bolton dropped off the CA list, while at the Hobart Hurricanes, speedster Tayla Vlaeminck holds marquee status for the first time.

The marquee Australians currently without contracts for WBBL|06 are Meg Lanning, Beth Mooney, Jess Jonassen and Sophie Molineux, although Lanning is expected to sign with the Stars, and Mooney with the Scorchers.

The team salary cap for WBBL|06 will be $312,540.

Teams will be permitted three replacement overseas players (subject to marquee player restrictions) throughout the season, should an import become injured or be called away on national duties. There is no limit on replacements for local players who suffer injuries.

The WBBL|06 trade period will run for the entire contracting period, with clubs required to lock in their full squads for the upcoming season – which begins October 17 – by Friday, September 25.

WBBL|06 Marquees (so far)

Adelaide Strikers: Megan Schutt, Tahlia McGrath, Suzie Bates (NZ)

Brisbane Heat: Delissa Kimmince

Hobart Hurricanes: Nicola Carey, Tayla Vlaeminck, Hayley Matthews (WI)

Melbourne Renegades: Georgia Wareham

Melbourne Stars: Annabel Sutherland

Perth Scorchers: TBC

Sydney Sixers: Alyssa Healy, Ellyse Perry, Ashleigh Gardner, Marizanne Kapp (SA), Dane van Niekerk (SA)

Sydney Thunder: Rachael Haynes

CA contracted players yet to sign for WBBL|06: Jess Jonassen, Meg Lanning, Beth Mooney, Sophie Molineux