BBL draft is coming, WBBL will be reduced to 40 matches

BBL draft is coming, WBBL will be reduced to 40 matches Clubs will be able to sign foreign players earlier, but they must commit to being available throughout the tour. Laurie Evans is not in the Perth Scorchers squad for this season's grand final · Getty Images Laurie Evans was not available for Perth Scorchers in this season's grand final. • Beautiful images Cricket Australia is set to allow Big Bash clubs to sign multi-year contracts with overseas talent ahead of the draft deadline, in a bid to prevent players leaving the competition before the finals. As part of a major upheaval, clubs could agree to a multi-year offer for a foreign player. This agreement will include the player's obligation to be available for the entire tournament and will prevent him from leaving to compete in other tournaments. RELATED Story images Finch discusses the possibility of moving BBL teams, calls for an end to the draft Story images BBL Takeaway: The crowds are back, now to keep the foreign stars at bay Story images The ILT20 mass exodus left the BBL final without star quality The AAP has been told that the changes are expected to be approved in the coming weeks, while a decision to reduce the Women's Big Bash League from 56 to 40 matches appears increasingly likely. happen. The changes will impact both the men's and women's tournaments and come after a mass exodus at the end of the last BBL tournament. Under the new rules, clubs will be able to offer a multi-year contract to a foreign player before draft day. The contracted player will count towards the minimum of three internationals who must be selected by the club in the draft, choosing a platinum, gold or silver option based on his salary. There will be no restrictions on who the players are, allowing clubs to attract foreign talent from another franchise. Recruited players will benefit from some flexibility next summer if they are already under contract elsewhere, but will be banned for the duration of the 2025-2026 season. Good news for BBL, it is believed that the UAE-based ILT20 competition will move from its January-February slot to November. If so, it would relieve considerable pressure on their Australian opponents, as ILT20 teams can register up to nine foreign players and regularly raid the BBL stock. This would make the South African T20 league the only franchise league to face the BBL. Brisbane Heat's England star Sam Billings last summer called for multi-year deals to give foreign players more certainty. AAP has learned that the women's competition will almost certainly move to a 10-round season with a format similar to the men's. The schedule for this year's Women's T20 World Cup in Bangladesh means the tournament risks starting without international talent if it runs a longer season. In the long run, it is believed that a 40-game regular season would create a better schedule and context for games without reducing the number of games.