Big Bash League contracts: The players up for grabs at every team
Ahead of a mooted all-player draft we run the rule over every player coming off contract at every team tipping those that will stay and those that could be on the move.
Ben Horne and
Tim Michell
5 min read
January 25, 2023 - 4:00PM
News Corp Australia Sports Newsroom
Chris Lynn, Nathan Lyon, Matthew Short and Mitchell Swepson headline a host of stars coming off-contract, as the Big Bash considers moving to an all-player draft.
In what could potentially be the biggest shake-up in BBL history, powerbrokers are considering the introduction of a draft to include Australian players as well as overseas stars, but even if that change isn’t made, there is still the prospect for some fascinating player movement this off-season.
Defending champions and favourites for this year’s title, The Perth Scorchers are the most vulnerable with nine players off-contract, including captain Ashton Turner and stars Andrew Tye and Cameron Bancroft.
Alternatively, the Sydney Thunder, who have been bowled out for 15 and 62 this season, have just four players coming off contract, and are therefore going to have to turn the ship around with virtually the same squad.
Which off contract Big Bash stars could make the move?
Next year’s Test schedule against the West Indies will make it difficult for Test stars to play much Big Bash, but Lyon and Marnus Labuschagne are off contract should a rival team want to make a play.
Adelaide Strikers could be the team most vulnerable to poachers, after the emergence of Matthew Short as the competition’s leading run-scorer and gun-for-hire Lynn proving he still has plenty left to offer as a run-scoring machine.
Hobart Hurricanes’ breakout spinner Patrick Dooley and Australian international Nathan Ellis will also require big upgrades if they’re to stay in Tasmania.
Any player draft would almost certainly include a loyalty clause where teams would get first dibs at long-serving stars – but there’s still plenty of scope for mass movement in the coming months.
Here are your off-contract players for 2023, club by club:
ADELAIDE STRIKERS
Harry Conway
Ryan Gibson
Chris Lynn
Harry Nielsen
Matt Short
Peter Siddle
Lynn has been a revelation at the Strikers, but only signed a one-year deal since switching from the Brisbane Heat. Before this season, the Strikers were the only club interested, but that’s likely to change after his return to form this summer. Victorian Matt Short is the Big Bash’s leading run-scorer and will be vulnerable to a raid, especially from the Melbourne clubs. Short previously had a stint at the Renegades but was only a bit player before blossoming in Adelaide when given an opportunity by coach, Jason Gillespie. Veteran Peter Siddle would be a handy addition at any club.
BRISBANE HEAT
Xavier Bartlett
James Bazley
Sam Heazlett
Matthew Kuhnemann
Marnus Labuschagne
Mitchell Swepson
Jack Wildermuth
Will the Brisbane Heat be able to retain both of their gun spinners Matthew Kuhnemann and Mitchell Swepson? Kuhnemann played 13 games this season as the first-choice spinner, and Swepson was squeezed out and the Heat only wanted to play one spinner. Perhaps there could be greener pastures elsewhere for the Australian Test leg-spinner. The Heat have had another up and down season and with seven players coming off contract, do have an opportunity to change the core of their line-up depending on how radical they want to get. Jack Wildermuth and Sam Heazlett have gone from important players to out of favour this summer. Heazlett would fit a team like the Strikers who are crying out for middle-order experience.
HOBART HURRICANES
Patrick Dooley
Nathan Ellis
Joel Paris
Will Parker
D’Arcy Short
Chris Tremain
Macalister Wright
With Ricky Ponting calling the shots at the list table, the Hurricanes won’t be idle in doing what’s required to improve their squad. Leg-sinner Patrick Dooley will be a priority retention after his breakout season, as will the signature of Australian international Nathan Ellis who is consistently one of the best bowlers in the Big Bash. There’s been interest in D’Arcy Short from elsewhere and after spending time down the order this summer, perhaps the Hurricanes wouldn’t fight too hard to keep him.
MELBOURNE RENEGADES
Zak Evans
Aaron Finch
Jake Fraser-McGurk
Marcus Harris
Jack Prestwidge
Corey Rocchiccioli
Will Sutherland
It’s hard to imagine captain Aaron Finch going anywhere else but he will be warranting a major pay rise given the precedent set by CA’s mega contracts to David Warner and Steve Smith. Finch is likely to come off the Australian contract list but has proven this season he’s still one of the best players in the Big Bash. Will Sutherland is one of the most promising up-and-coming players in Australian cricket and the Renegades can’t afford to lose his all-round ability. Sutherland is exactly the type of player the Melbourne Stars need, having had precious few death bowling options this season. Marcus Stoinis has hardly bowled for four Big Bash seasons now. Could the Stars try to pull one over their crosstown rivals after Sutherland’s breakout summer? The promise of a promotion to bat at No. 5 or 6 might help.
MELBOURNE STARS
Nathan Coulter-Nile
Sam Elliot
Liam Hatcher
Clinton Hinchcliffe
Campbell Kellaway
Cameron McClure
Tom O’Connell
Another disappointing year for the Melbourne Stars which has been largely impacted by the absence of Glenn Maxwell. With seven players coming off contract, the Stars do have the opportunity to reshape their list and it might be time to do so. Nathan Coulter-Nile took 15 wickets in 10 matches but at 35 years of age is only a season-by-season proposition due to his injury history. Rival clubs might fancy snaring the former Australian World Cup international for a season.
PERTH SCORCHERS
Cameron Bancroft
Jason Behrendorff
Cooper Connolly
Cameron Green
Peter Hatzoglou
Matthew Kelly
Lance Morris
Ashton Turner
Andrew Tye
Like the Sydney Sixers, there is a tremendous amount of club-player loyalty in the west and they don’t lose many stars they want to keep. But with nine players coming off-contract at the same time, the Scorchers may not be able to keep everyone happy under the salary cap. The players coming off are all crucial members of the line-up and rival clubs will sense a big opportunity to strike. It’s hard to see Cameron Bancroft, Jason Behrendorff, Ashton Turner and Andrew Tye playing for another franchise, but who knows, especially if the Big Bash does shift to a draft. Lance Morris has previously had a stint at the Melbourne Stars, Peter Hatzoglou has also played elsewhere, while Cooper Connolly is one of the best young players in Australian cricket and might get better opportunities elsewhere given how hard the Scorchers XI is to break into.
SYDNEY SIXERS
Jackson Bird
Moises Henriques
Nathan Lyon
Stephen O’Keefe
Jordan Silk
The advantage the Sydney Sixers have is Moises Henriques and Steve O’Keefe almost certainly wouldn’t play for another franchise and Sixers senior players’ have previously taken pay cuts to allow the club to keep the team together. Nathan Lyon is an interesting one because with Todd Murphy’s presence on the Sixers list, The Goat isn’t necessarily guaranteed to make the XI. That said, Test cricketers won’t play much if any Big Bash next summer anyway and Lyon is a long-term servant the Sixers would want to stay loyal to.
SYDNEY THUNDER
Ben Cutting
Brendan Doggett
Baxter Holt
Sam Whiteman
All-rounder Ben Cutting might be past his prime, but his ability with bat and ball is an asset to any side and he could be an attractive prospect for rival teams. Brendan Doggett has had a solid season with the ball. The Thunder need more experience on their list and should be looking to make some moves even if opportunities are limited with only four players off-contract. After some embarrassing collapses with the bat this summer, and the fact David Warner won’t be able to play much if any Big Bash next year – the Thunder need to be in the market for batsmen.
