The Adelaide Strikers led by skipper Tahlia McGrath clinched the 9th edition of the Women’s Big Bash League by defeating Brisbane Heat led by skipper Jess Jonassen in the final by 3 runs. They added a 2nd WBBL title in their trophy cabinet.
The schedule for the upcoming 10th edition of the Women’s Big Bash League is yet to be announced. However, the Big Bash League has announced a few changes to the system ahead of the upcoming edition of the tournament to ensure a prolonged participation of the overseas and international stars involved in the tournament. In the new addition to the league, Cricket Australia has allowed the clubs to sign one overseas player in the BBL and the WBBL on a multi-year deal (1,2, or 3-year deal) outside of the draft, allowing them an opportunity of direct negotiation with a franchise of their choice.
Former franchises will not be able to retain a player who signs a contract before the draft. From the 2025 edition (WBBL 11) of the Women’s Big Bash League players signed through a multi-year deal will also have to be available for the entire season including the knockout stages and the final of the tournament. However, the draft system stays intact and the franchise will have to pick at least two more players from the draft.
“We are excited to introduce this new contracting mechanism for the upcoming WBBL and BBL seasons. The opportunity for international players to ink multi-year deals with teams not only strengthens the League’s global appeal but also provides clubs with greater stability and strategic planning capabilities.” Alistair Dobson, BBL general manager speaks about the benefits of the introduction of a multi-year deal for the growth of the Australian franchise league.
The WBBL contracting window will open after the schedule for the upcoming 10th edition of the Women’s Big Bash League is finalized in the coming weeks. The multi-year deal will replace the direct nomination rule that was introduced in the Inaugural overseas draft last year.
(Quotes sourced from Cricket Australia Press Release).
