Mitchell Marsh, dropped from the final Test against India, is set to make his first Big Bash League (BBL) appearance in nearly three years. He has been added to the Perth Scorchers’ squad for their game against the Melbourne Renegades at Optus Stadium on Tuesday.
Fast bowler Jhye Richardson is also back in the BBL mix after being part of the Test squad for the last two matches of the Border-Gavaskar series.
The availability of other Test players for the BBL will be clarified in the coming days, though Travis Head has already ruled himself out of playing for the Adelaide Strikers. “I’m wrecked,” Head told Fox Cricket at the SCG on Sunday. “We’ve got 10 or 12 days off before heading to Sri Lanka, and I’m going to use every bit of it to recover.”
Marsh returned to Perth on Monday after Australia’s series-clinching win at the SCG. His place in the Test team had been taken by Beau Webster, who impressed with a memorable debut. If Marsh doesn’t make the squad for the Sri Lanka tour, which will be announced later this week, he could have an extended run with the Scorchers through the remainder of the BBL season.
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Marsh last played in the BBL in January 2022 before missing the following season due to ankle surgery, undertaken in a bid to revive his Test career. That effort paid off when he scored a century during the 2023 Ashes at Headingley. However, a disappointing series with the bat led to his recent omission from the Test side.
Webster, meanwhile, could play for the Melbourne Stars against the Sydney Sixers on Thursday and in the return derby against the Renegades on January 12.
Other Test squad members, including Steven Smith (Sydney Sixers), Marnus Labuschagne and Usman Khawaja (Brisbane Heat), Alex Carey (Adelaide Strikers), and Nathan Lyon (Melbourne Renegades), are likely to feature in the BBL. However, Scott Boland (Melbourne Stars) may be rested after his workload in the final Tests.
Most of these players are expected to be part of the upcoming Sri Lanka tour, which kicks off with a training camp in Dubai. Teams reaching the BBL finals will have to manage without players selected for the Sri Lanka trip.
