Scott Boland has inked a three-year contract with the Melbourne Stars of the Big Bash League (BBL) ahead of the upcoming season. Boland’s signing is part of the league’s effort to include more Australian stars in the competition, as the BBL is under fire from supporters for the absence of top-tier Australian players due to their participation in international competitions.
Boland has also inked a full contract with the BBL, meaning he is not subject to the restrictions imposed on local players who are signed as part of the league’s most recent supplementary-list system.
Before bursting onto the scene for Australia’s Test side in recent years, Boland was a regular in the Big Bash League, playing for Stars for several seasons and Hobart Hurricanes during the summer of 2019/20. A modification has been made to the BBL’s contracting system as a result of the dissatisfaction caused by the lack of local players.
According to the supplementary-list system, athletes with central contracts in Australia can join the supplementary list and participate in BBL games. The same athletes must also receive a match fee of $30,000 per game and be approved by the Big Bash’s technical committee.
I cannot wait to participate in the Big Bash once more: Scott Boland
In addition, Boland reflected on his return to Melbourne Stars and disclosed that he cannot wait to compete in the Big Bash League once more.
The West Australian quoted Scott Boland as saying, “I can’t wait to be a part of the Big Bash again, and it’s great to be back at home with the Melbourne Stars in front of family and friends at the MCG. Hopefully I can be a part of some success and that elusive first BBL title.”
Blair Crouch, general manager of the Stars, said of the star pacer’s inclusion in the team, “I can’t remember a player since Shane Warne who burst onto the scene and was as beloved by the MCG crowd as Scott Boland.”