BBL: Scott Boland returns to Melbourne Stars ahead of 13th edition

Star Australia pacer Scott Boland has signed a three-year contract with the Big Bash League (BBL) side Melbourne Stars ahead of the upcoming edition. Boland’s joining has come as part of the league’s attempt to include more Australian stars in the competition as the BBL is under heavy fire from the fans due to the top brass Australian players being tied up to various international tournaments.

It is also worth noting that Boland has signed a full contract with the BBL, which means he is not subjected to the restrictions imposed on the local players who are signed as part of the league’s latest supplementary-list system.

Boland has burst onto the scene for Australia’s Test side in recent years, but before that, he was a regular in the Big Bash League, where he represented Stars for several seasons and Hobart Hurricanes for the summer of 2019/20. Due to the frustration of not having enough local players in the BBL, a change in the contracting system has come about.

According to the supplementary-list system, the players who hold Australian central contracts can join the supplementary list and play some BBL games. The same players must receive a $30,000 match fee per game and have their presence approved by the Big Bash's technical committee.

I can't wait to be a part of the Big Bash again: Boland

Furthermore, Boland also reflected on his return to Melbourne Stars and revealed that he cannot wait to play in the Big Bash League again. 

"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," Scott Boland was quoted as saying by The West Australian. 

With Stars general manager Blair Crouch also talking about the star pacer’s inclusion in the side, he said, "I can't remember a player bursting onto the scene and being loved by the MCG crowd as much as Scott Boland since Shane Warne."