The Test stars are set to be available between the end of the Sydney Test against India and their departure for the Sri Lanka tour on January 21 next year, also the first day of the BBL’s knockout stage.
But with Warner having ended his international career he has a clear run at the BBL. Over the last two seasons, he has played eight games for Thunder after a gap of ten years, including the match where he arrived at the SCG by helicopter last summer.
“Davey is popular wherever he plays, right around the world, particularly in India and I know the South Asian communities in Sydney’s west will get right behind him at Thunder,” Trent Copeland, the Thunder general manager, said.
“In Davey we get a world class talent with almost 20 years of T20 experience and now that he has retired from international cricket, we can count on his full focus and commitment for the entire tournament, including the finals.
Smith is set to be available for as many as four Sixers games – including a potential derby with Warner’s Thunder – while Labuschagne’s Heat and Carey’s Strikers each have three games in that window.
Smith would theoretically be free to play a full BBL season, rather than just a cameo, if he chose to retire from Test cricket over the next three years but he continues not to put a timeline on his Australia career.
“I don’t have any plans,” Smith said. “I’m just enjoying playing at the moment, I’m pretty relaxed and looking forward to this summer. India’s going to be a great challenge, they are a very good side, think we are probably the two best Test teams in the world going head-to-head over five Tests. I’m excited by that.”
Smith is currently one of Australia’s incumbent Test openers after replacing Warner earlier this year although whether that remains the case will continue to be a debate.
“The conversations I’ve had so far is that we’ll go to England…I’m there for the one-dayers then make a decision after that. There’s conversations happening in the background. Guys like Usman [Khawaja] has said he likes me down at No. 4, think Marnus is of a similar thought pattern. We’ll wait and see. I’m happy to bat anywhere.”
Smith was a member of the Sixers side that won the first edition of the BBL in 2012 but had been only sporadically available in the years after making a blistering cameo two summers ago. He became the first male Sixers player to score a century, achieving the feat twice in a five-game run.
Meanwhile, Labuschagne will return to Heat, the reigning champions and his long-term BBL franchise, after India’s Australia tour concludes on January 7.
“His game sense is exceptional and that is a huge asset to us on and off the field,” new Heat coach Johan Botha said.
None of the big three quicks – Josh Hazlewood, Mitchell Starc and Pat Cummins – have signed with BBL sides to date and are likely to take breaks from bowling before Sri Lanka.
