Cricket

David Warner and Steven Smith, two of Australia's most decorated cricketers, have committed their futures to the Big Bash League (BBL) with new contracts. Warner has signed a two-year deal with Sydney Thunder, while Smith has inked a three-year contract with Sydney Sixers.Warner, who recently retired from international cricket, will be available for a full BBL season for the first time in his career. The explosive opener has played just eight games for Thunder over the past two seasons, but he is now set to be a mainstay in the team's lineup.Smith, on the other hand, could potentially play a full BBL season beyond his Test career. The former Australian captain has not ruled out retiring from Test cricket over the next three years, which would free him up to play more games for Sixers.The Test stars are set to be available for a handful of games between the end of the Sydney Test against India and their departure for the Sri Lanka tour on January 21. This includes the BBL's knockout stage, which begins on the same day.Other Test team-mates Marnus Labuschagne and Alex Carey have also re-signed with their respective BBL franchises, Brisbane Heat and Adelaide Strikers. Labuschagne will return to Heat, the reigning champions, after India's Australia tour concludes on January 7. Carey has signed a four-year deal with the Strikers, with whom he has played all 56 BBL games of his eight-year career.The signings of Warner, Smith, Labuschagne, and Carey are a major boost for the BBL, which is set to begin its 14th edition in December. The league has been struggling to attract fans in recent years, but the presence of these star players is sure to generate excitement and interest.

Tom Curran, the third-highest wicket-taker among overseas bowlers in the Big Bash League (BBL), has signed a two-year pre-draft deal with the Melbourne Stars for the 2024-25 season. The move comes after a tumultuous season with the Sydney Sixers, where he was suspended for intimidating an umpire.Despite taking 3 for 19 in the game where he was suspended, Curran only appeared in two more matches before a knee injury ended his campaign. The Sixers have since reassessed their overseas options, with a spinner reportedly high on their list.However, Curran believes he left the Sixers on good terms. "I don't feel like it was an issue with the Sixers," he said. "We fought the case together and they backed me."Curran is currently playing for the Oval Invincibles in the Hundred, having recovered from a broken forearm. The injury was a reminder of the dangers bowlers face, particularly in T20 cricket."It was nasty," he said. "It could have been so much worse if it had got me in the face."Curran has previously fought back from two stress fractures of the back and has opted to step away from red-ball cricket. While he is not consumed by the prospect of an England recall, he is confident he could make a success of it."I feel like I'm a better all-round player than I was then," he said. "I know my value now."

The Hobart Hurricanes have secured the first pick in the upcoming Women's Big Bash League (WBBL) draft, following a weighted lottery that favored teams that missed the finals in the 2023-24 season. The Hurricanes, Sydney Sixers, Melbourne Renegades, and Melbourne Stars, who all failed to reach the playoffs, were given the first four picks, followed by the four teams that made the postseason.Despite finishing in the bottom two last season, the Melbourne teams were unable to secure the top pick, which went to the Hurricanes. The Hurricanes had a strong draft last year, selecting Shabnim Ismail, Bryony Smith, and Lizelle Lee as a direct nomination.The Perth Scorchers, who were eliminated in the Challenger, will have the last pick in rounds one, two, and four of the draft. However, the order will be reversed in round three. Clubs can trade picks, so the order may change before the draft takes place in September.Last season, the Sydney Thunder used their first pick to select South Africa allrounder Marizanne Kapp as a platinum player, while the Scorchers opted not to use their retention option. This year, clubs can sign up to four overseas players, including those who join under the new multi-year pre-draft option. New Zealand's Amelia Kerr became the first player to sign under this system, joining the Sixers after leaving the Brisbane Heat.The pre-draft option essentially replaces the direct nominations system used last year. If clubs sign a fourth overseas player, they will become the first overseas replacement. The draft will again feature four price bands: platinum (AU$110,000), gold (AU$90,000), silver (AU$65,000), and bronze (AU$40,000).Next season's WBBL has been reduced to a 40-game regular season to manage the workload of players and boost attendance. The tournament is expected to start shortly after the conclusion of the Women's T20 World Cup in Bangladesh, which ends on October 20.Given the proximity of the World Cup to the WBBL season, it remains to be seen how many of the world's leading players will commit to the tournament in Australia.

Sydney Sixers have pulled off a major coup by signing New Zealand all-rounder Amelia Kerr on a three-year deal, taking advantage of the WBBL's new contracting rules. Kerr, ranked as the world's No. 2 allrounder, joins the Sixers after three successful seasons with the Brisbane Heat.The new rules allow each WBBL club to sign one player outside of the overseas draft, a move designed to retain talent and counter the lure of overseas leagues. The Sixers have made the most of this opportunity by securing the services of one of the most sought-after players in the world.Kerr has been a standout performer for the Heat, winning the club's player-of-the-year award three times. She is a versatile allrounder, capable of contributing with both bat and ball. As a batter, she has scored over 1,000 runs in the WBBL, including a century in the 2021-22 season. With the ball, she has taken 62 wickets at an impressive economy rate of 6.42.The 23-year-old's decision to join the Sixers was influenced by her family ties to Sydney. Her sister, Jess, played for the Sixers last season, and the opportunity to be closer to family was a major factor in her decision."It was an extremely hard decision to leave Brisbane as the players and staff there have been nothing but good to me," Kerr said. "But with the scheduling of women's cricket there is not much downtime and being based in Sydney was a big part of my decision."The Heat attempted to retain Kerr under the pre-draft multi-year contract system, but ultimately her desire to be closer to family swayed her decision."The Heat were keen to retain Melie and put a competitive offer to her," said Queensland's head of cricket, Joe Dawes. "However, we understand that being near to family is important in this stage of her life."Kerr's departure is a significant loss for the Heat, but the Sixers will be delighted to have secured her services. She is a world-class player who will undoubtedly make a major contribution to their team.

Ben Dwarshuis, the Australian left-arm fast bowler, has joined Durham for the upcoming Vitality Blast tournament. The 31-year-old replaces Scott Boland, who was ruled out for the season due to plantar fasciitis.Dwarshuis comes to Durham after a successful Big Bash League campaign with the Sydney Sixers, where he was the leading bowler and player of the season. He claimed 17 wickets, including a match-winning 5 for 21 against the Brisbane Heat. Dwarshuis also played a key role in the Sixers' back-to-back titles in 2020 and 2021, taking 24 wickets in the latter campaign.At the international level, Dwarshuis has represented Australia in three T20Is, claiming five wickets at an average of 22.40. He has also featured for Kings XI Punjab in the Indian Premier League and Worcestershire in the Vitality Blast."I am very much looking forward to joining Durham Cricket for the upcoming 2024 Vitality Blast season," said Dwarshuis. "It will also be a great opportunity to play in front of the passionate Durham fans at the Seat Unique Riverside."Durham's Director of Cricket, Marcus North, expressed his excitement about Dwarshuis' signing. "We are thrilled to have recruited Ben for our T20 Blast season," said North. "With the loss of Scott Boland and the T20 World Cup being played through the tournament, it was important we found the right cricketer who can play a key role for us this season.""Ben has a terrific record with the Sydney Sixers and is constantly up there as one of the top wicket takers in the BBL," added North. "His white-ball cricket skills are very good, and we are pleased to have him on board."Dwarshuis' left-arm option adds variety to Durham's already strong bowling attack. He is also a capable batsman, which gives the team additional depth.