Get the appFormer Brisbane Heat captain Jess Jonassen will miss the entire WBBL|12 season with a hip complaint, hoping to return in 2027. Hobart Hurricanes batter Danni Wyatt-Hodge is also out with a calf injury. The Hurricanes have signed Sri Lanka international Chamari Athapaththu as her replacement. Jonassen, 33, missed four matches last season after shoulder surgery. The tournament begins Thursday with a double-header at Junction Oval.
Ashleigh Gardner says the Sydney Sixers have one of their strongest lists in a long time as they aim to improve on last season's third-placed finish in WBBL|12. The club has a new head coach, Pete Clarke, who previously served as an assistant. Key additions include England batter Alice Capsey, Sophia Dunkley and wicketkeeper Maddy Darke, who replaces the retired Alyssa Healy. The Sixers lost a home semi-final to the Perth Scorchers last season but won the Spring Challenge.
Perth Scorchers have signed England wicketkeeper-batter Aneurin Donald on a one-year deal covering the Big Bash League season, including finals. The move follows Josh Inglis not re-signing with the club after its sixth men's Big Bash title in January. Donald joins English opener Zak Crawley in the squad, with Mitch Marsh's batting position still to be decided. Donald made 489 runs at a strike rate of 230.66 for Derbyshire in this year's T20 Blast. He made his England T20 debut against Sri Lanka and was named in the England T20I squad for matches in Australia.
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Get the appSophie Molineux and new coach Gavan Twining want the Renegades to play an aggressive, bold style of T20 cricket in the WBBL. The club's list includes Georgia Wareham, West Indies stars Hayley Matthews and Deandra Dottin, and South African Chloe Tryon. Tayla Vlaeminck returns after not playing a match for the club since 2018. The Renegades are expected to be sold by next season, so this is their last campaign in their current form.
Rachael Haynes will step down as Sydney Sixers general manager at the end of this month, as she and her family move to the United Kingdom. Hayden McIntosh has been appointed interim general manager for the coming WBBL and BBL seasons. Haynes said leading the club had been one of the great privileges of her career. During her tenure, the Sixers' women returned to the WBBL finals last season, and the men's team finished runners-up last summer. Recruitment for a permanent replacement will begin in early 2027.
Sydney Thunder have signed New Zealand left-arm quick Trent Boult on a one-year deal with full availability, including finals, for the BBL|16 season. The 37-year-old will join fellow New Zealander Lockie Ferguson in the pace attack. Boult said he was excited to play in the Big Bash again. Former England captain Andrew Flintoff, the club's new head coach, said the pair could take early wickets with the new ball. Boult has taken 601 wickets across Test, one-day and T20 internationals.
Hobart Hurricanes have signed Bangladesh international Rishad Hossain on a one-year deal for the upcoming Big Bash League season. He is available for the first eight games. Rishad was the club's leading wicket-taker last season, with 15 wickets, and earned the club's player of the year award. Hurricanes general manager Salliann Beams said the club wanted him back, and that he will sit alongside Australian white-ball spinner Adam Zampa in the squad. Hope and Rishad are currently the club's only overseas recruits.
Sydney Sixers have signed Western Australian off-spinner Corey Rocchiccioli on a one-year deal for the Big Bash League. The 29-year-old, who last played in the tournament in 2023, will replace Todd Murphy, who joined Melbourne Stars after five seasons with the Sixers. Rocchiccioli said he was keen to contribute to a team chasing silverware. Sixers general manager Rachael Haynes described him as one of the standout spinners in domestic cricket. He joins Joel Davies as the club's only other regular spin-bowling option on the men's roster.
Ben Manenti, Italy's standout player at the T20 World Cup earlier this year, has signed a two-year Big Bash deal with the Melbourne Renegades. The 29-year-old allrounder joins his third BBL club after earlier stints with the Sydney Sixers and Adelaide Strikers. Manenti was Italy's top run-scorer at the tournament, with 138 runs in three innings, and also took five wickets. He scored a century for South Australia on the same day as the announcement, in a Sheffield Shield match against Victoria. Renegades head coach Luke Ronchi praised his versatility and form.