Ben Stokes is expected to become the highest-paid overseas player in Big Bash League (BBL) history if he joins the competition after retiring from international cricket. According to Code Sports, the Sydney Sixers are leading the race to sign the former England captain ahead of the 2026-27 BBL season.
Cricket Australia is also working on major changes to the BBL's player recruitment system. The board is in discussions with the Australian Cricketers' Association to replace the overseas draft with direct signings and introduce a marquee player model, allowing franchises to compete for the world's biggest T20 stars.
Sydney Sixers Emerge as Frontrunners to Sign Ben Stokes
According to Code Sports, the Sydney Sixers are leading the race to sign Ben Stokes after appointing former England white-ball coach Matthew Mott. Mott and Stokes worked together for England. Stokes scored an unbeaten 52 in the final against Pakistan during the 2022 T20 World Cup.
The Hobart Hurricanes are also interested in signing Stokes, with Cricket Tasmania chief executive Dom Baker previously expressing his desire to bring the England star to Tasmania.
Stokes last played in the BBL during the 2014-15 season for the Melbourne Renegades. He scored 128 runs and took three wickets. Since retiring from international cricket, the 35-year-old has returned to domestic cricket with Durham and is expected to play franchise cricket around the world.
New Marquee Rules Could Hand Ben Stokes a Record BBL Deal
Code Sports reported that Cricket Australia is confident of securing Ben Stokes on a marquee contract worth around AUD 600,000. Under the proposed system, each club will have access to a marquee player pool of AUD 1.375 million to sign up to four marquee players, including at least one overseas player.
Stokes may prefer to spend Christmas with his family in England before deciding whether to play in the BBL or join the SA20, which starts in mid-January.
He is also unlikely to return to the IPL. Under current BCCI regulations, Stokes cannot enter an IPL auction until 2028 after skipping the 2025 mega auction. He also did not register for the current season of The Hundred, leaving the BBL and county cricket among his main franchise options.
Finn Allen Also Set for Huge Big Bash Interest
Ben Stokes is not the only player attracting strong interest. According to Code Sports, New Zealand opener Finn Allen is also in line for a lucrative BBL contract after a sensational BBL|15 campaign with the Perth Scorchers.
Allen finished as the tournament's leading run-scorer with 466 runs at a strike rate of 184.18. He also set a new BBL record for the most sixes in a single season and helped the Scorchers win a record sixth title. Adelaide Strikers and Melbourne Stars are reportedly among the teams interested in signing him.
Cricket Australia is expected to finalize the new BBL player rules soon. If approved, the changes will allow clubs to sign overseas stars directly and could lead to record-breaking deals for players such as Stokes and Allen.
