BBL champions Hobart Hurricanes invited to play in Guyana’s Global Super League

Reigning Big Bash League (BBL) champions Hobart Hurricanes are set to participate in the Global Super League (GSL) in Guyana this July. Coming off their maiden BBL title win in January, the Hurricanes, operated by Cricket Tasmania, have been approached to represent Australia in the tournament. This makes them the second Australian team to receive such an invitation, following Cricket Victoria’s participation last year. Victoria competed in their traditional state colours and finished as runners-up.

With the GSL now moving to the July window, it opens an opportunity for the Hurricanes to field a strong squad, although it overlaps with Australia’s Test tour of the Caribbean and a subsequent five-match T20I series against West Indies. Despite this clash, Cricket Tasmania is hopeful of bringing a strong team under the Hurricanes banner.

Star players like Test allrounder Beau Webster, Riley Meredith, and T20 regulars Nathan Ellis and Tim David are all in the mix. However, their availability is not yet confirmed. Webster may be part of the Test squad, while Ellis and David are probable picks for the T20I series. David, notably, has not yet re-signed with the Hurricanes for the upcoming BBL season but is expected to do so.

Cricket Tasmania has reportedly approached Cricket Australia to clarify the availability of Ellis and David. The situation is more complicated for Ellis, who holds a central contract, making it likely he will be managed with rest ahead of a packed international schedule. David, on the other hand, may also qualify to play for GSL defending champions Rangpur Riders, having featured briefly for them in the Bangladesh Premier League.

According to some reports, the tournament could be moved to February, which could conflict with Australia’s domestic season, making participation harder. Notably, last year, the Perth Scorchers declined an invite due to the GSL’s December slot. Cricket Victoria CEO Nick Cummins mentioned their GSL experience.

“It was amazing. We were really impressed with how they ran the tournament, the quality of the cricket, and the quality of the wickets. I’ve long been an advocate for bringing back the Champions League, and I’d really love to see that take place and, at the moment, the GSL is the closest thing that cricket’s got to that. I think they prefer that we’re playing in Big Bash colours rather than state colours and hopefully that’s something that evolves too,” Cummins told ESPNcricinfo.

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