Adam Zampa, Nathan Lyon and Usman Khawaja among the 68 uncontracted players available to be signed by rival clubs in the player movement window
Australian white-ball star Adam Zampa is set to be one of the most in-demand BBL free agents with the league’s player movement window now open.
Zampa headlines a host of national representatives, including recently retired Test batter Usman Khawaja and T20 wicketkeeper Josh Inglis, among the 68 eligible free agents available to be signed by rival clubs during the nine-day trade period that opened at 9am today.
Brisbane Heat captain Khawaja wasn’t one of 10 players contracted by the club before Tuesday’s 5pm AEDT embargo, joining fast-bowling teammate Michael Neser in the free agency pool, who has been linked with Sydney Thunder in recent days following a strong Ashes summer.
There’s serious interest in Inglis too with at least two clubs making a play, but whether he’s prepared to leave KFC BBL|15 champions Perth Scorchers after hitting the winning runs on Sunday is another question.
Chris Lynn, the competition’s most prolific men’s batter of all time, is a free agent once more after he wasn’t one of the 10 players permitted to be re-signed by Adelaide Strikers prior to the commencement of a league-wide contracting embargo.
Lynn, who turns 36 in April, has signed four consecutive one-year deals with the Strikers since departing the Heat in 2022.
Melbourne Stars left it late but T20 icon Glenn Maxwell is secure after agreeing to terms for another two seasons, the mercurial allrounder knocking back big-money offers from rivals to stay loyal to the club.
Maxwell was part of a flurry of Stars extensions in recent days, with wicketkeeper Sam Harper, veteran quick Peter Siddle, allrounder Hilton Cartwright and young guns Campbell Kellaway and Austin Anlezark all earning new deals before Tuesday’s deadline.
But it appears increasingly likely Zampa will have a new home in BBL|16 with at least four rival clubs making enquiries after his three-year Renegades deal expired at the end of the season.
The 33-year-old was traded to the Renegades in 2023 in a swap that saw recently crowned BBL|15 player of the tournament Harper land at the Stars.
Zampa has taken 24 wickets in 22 games for the ‘Gades – his fourth BBL club – but the club has missed the finals for the past three seasons.
Test spinner Nathan Lyon, whose international commitments prevented him from playing a single game for the Renegades during his three-year contract after switching from the Sixers ahead of BBL|13, is now a free agent, as is Todd Murphy who is yet to be re-signed by the SCG-based club.
And fast bowler Sam Elliott is on the radar of recruiters following his late-season form for the ‘Gades, which included a four-wicket haul against eventual champions Perth Scorchers.
Elliott broke into the side mid-season after signing as cover for injured allrounder Will Salzmann, with local replacement players set to be part of the free agency pool for the first time this year.
A full list of the eligible free agents during the nine-day player movement window can be found here.
Now in its second year, the player movement window allows clubs to sign an eligible free agent or trade players and draft picks with other teams. They are not permitted to re-sign or extend an existing player during the period.
Only domestic players, including Cricket Australia marquee supplementary listed players (Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood and Mitchell Starc), part of a BBL club roster whose contract expired at the end of BBL|15, are considered an eligible free agent.
Overseas recruits whose contracts have expired are ineligible for contracting during the window.
The Thunder’s Sam Billings is the only direct overseas signing still contracted for next season, with the remaining seven clubs will be able to sign an overseas player prior to the BBL|16 Draft when the contracting embargo is lifted.
Clubs can have a maximum of 12 players on their roster for BBL|16 when the player movement window closes at 5pm AEDT on Thursday, February 5, with no further contracting activity permitted, domestic or international, until the lifting of the embargo.
