Melbourne
Cricket Australia has unveiled a major change on Thursday in how players can move between Big Bash League (BBL) franchises, introducing a 10-day player movement window, similar to the Australian Football League’s (AFL) trade period. This move is aimed at increasing competitiveness and excitement in the league.
The new player movement windows will take place after the conclusion 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, from 9 am on December 2 to 5 pm on December 11. The men’s BBL trade window will run from January 28 to February 6.
This new system allows teams to trade players with rival clubs, sign players in the final year of their contracts, and even swap overseas player draft positions. However, clubs will not be allowed to re-sign currently contracted players during this period, pushing teams to finalize contract extensions during the regular season or wait until after the trade window.
WBBL teams can sign up to eight players before the window opens and up to 10 after, while BBL teams can sign 10 players before and 12 after the window closes. Overseas players with multi-year deals will count towards these limits.
Alistair Dobson, Cricket Australia’s executive general manager of Big Bash Leagues, praised the change, saying it would add a strategic element to the competition. He also highlighted that the new system would boost interest among fans, broadcasters, and the media, enhancing the league’s year-round presence.
