While Smith, Labuschagne and Khawaja will have restrictions on their appearances, Alex Carey, Sam Konstas, Beau Webster, Mitchell Marsh and Jhye Richardson have been cleared to play in the rest of the BBL.
Head, along with Scott Boland, Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood, Nathan Lyon and Mitchell Starc will not play any role in the BBL season despite all being contracted.
Australia are likely to announce a 16-man touring group for two Tests in Sri Lanka in the coming days and the team will depart for the United Arab Emirates for a pre-tour camp on January 19 or 20, meaning none of the members of the touring group will be. available for the BBL finals series taking place from January 21 to 27.
It remains to be seen whether all members of the Sydney Test squad against India will be brought to Sri Lanka, with Josh Inglis, Peter Handscomb, Todd Murphy and Matthew Kuhnemann coming into the picture. Glenn Maxwell also has the chance to head to Sri Lanka, but with Australia having already secured a place in the World Test Championship, the need for his subcontinental experience has diminished and there is a chance selectors will look ahead to the 2027 tour. for India with the way they shape the squad.
Smith will miss the Sydney Sixers’ clash against the Melbourne Stars at the MCG on Thursday but will be available to play against Perth Scorches at the SCG on Saturday, with Marsh and Richardson also set to feature after they were named in the Scorchers’ squad for face the Renegades at home on Tuesday night.
Smith will then be available to play against Adelaide Strikers on January 15 and Sydney Thunder on January 17, where Konstas will also play. Even though the fifth Test ended a few days ago, Konstas will play for the Thunder against Hobart Hurricanes in Sydney tomorrow night and in the Thunder’s final four games.
Khawaja and Labuschagne will only be available for the Brisbane Heat’s home clash against the Hurricanes on January 16 after having 10 days off. They will not be available for the Heat’s final clash in Melbourne against the Renegades on January 18 as they are likely to travel overseas the following day.
Interestingly, Carey has been available for Adelaide Strikers’ last three matches, including a match in Perth on January 18. Webster is assumed to be available for Stars on January 19 at this stage. It is understood those players could make a staggered departure to the UAE to play in those BBL games if necessary.
Head is under contract with Strikers but spoke of his need to rest immediately after the Sydney Test and will not play in any of those matches. Head also has an IPL contract and looks set for an almost uninterrupted touring schedule from Sri Lanka onwards with trips to Pakistan for the Champions Trophy, India for the IPL, England for the WTC final and the Caribbean for three Tests and a few white tests. Baseball games will keep him on the road until July.
Starc, Hazlewood and Cummins face a similar schedule, although Cummins is likely to miss both Sri Lanka Tests due to the birth of his second child, while Hazlewood could be ruled out due to a calf injury.
Lyon have taken a break from the BBL despite having a very light workload during the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. But at 37, having suffered a major calf injury in 2023, he is being managed ahead of two Tests in Galle, where he looks likely to be Australia’s most reliable bowler.
The CA High Performance Team and the BBL have long been discussing the availability of Test stars during this short period between the Border-Gavaskar Trophy and the Sri Lanka tour, and the BBL is keen to have all the players available for as many games as possible while The national selectors, coaches and medical staff were very keen for many of their stars to be rested during this precious window without international cricket. CA national team manager Ben Oliver said the decision on each player’s BBL availability was made on a case-by-case basis.
“A five-match Test series is grueling, and this was amplified by the intensity of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy,” Oliver said. “The players and staff deserve huge credit for their preparation and management, which has enabled sustained performance over what is a full international calendar.
“We have worked with each player to form individualized plans that best support recovery from the Border-Gavaskar Trophy and preparation for upcoming international commitments, including the tour of Sri Lanka and the ICC Champions Trophy. Wherever possible, this includes players representing their clubs in the ongoing BBL season over the next fortnight.”
BBL general manager Alistair Dobson was pleased to see some of the Test stars playing in the competition over the next fortnight.
“We are delighted to have a number of Australian Test players entering the competition from tonight following their historic victory in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, and we thank them for their commitment to the BBL,” Dobson said.
Alex Malcolm is associate editor of ESPNcricinfo
