Jos Buttler to Make Abu Dhabi T10 Debut; Enhanced Third-Umpire Technology in WBBL

England’s white-ball captain, Jos Buttler, aged 34, has signed to play in the Abu Dhabi T10 League for the first time, joining the 2022 champions, the Deccan Gladiators. Buttler is among 21 English players announced for the eighth season of the expanded tournament, which is set to run from November 21 to December 2, following the conclusion of England’s tour of the West Indies.

Apart from Buttler, other international cricket stars signed for the T10 league include Afghanistan’s Rashid Khan, South Africa’s Anrich Nortje, Australia’s Marcus Stoinis, and the West Indies’ Andre Russell and Nicholas Pooran. The New York Strikers, boasting players like Sunil Narine and Kieron Pollard, will enter the tournament as the defending champions.

In addition, several England players have been confirmed for different teams within the league: Alex Hales and Ravi Bopara for Ajman Bolts; Liam Livingstone and David Payne for Bangla Tigers; Dan Lawrence for Chennai Brave Jaguars; Luke Wood, Tom Kohler-Cadmore, and Richard Gleeson joining Buttler at Deccan Gladiators, amongst others.

Meanwhile, the Women's Big Bash League (WBBL) is set to feature significant technological enhancements for its upcoming season. Cricket Australia has announced the introduction of a third-umpire system for all matches, empowering umpires to review stumpings, run-outs, and contentious catches. The Decision Review System (DRS) will be available in 33 out of the 43 games, marking an increase from the previous season, where only 24 matches featured this technology.

Alistair Dobson, Cricket Australia’s General Manager of Big Bash Leagues, underscored the importance of these technological upgrades. “The players, match officials, and our clubs have all been really clear and consistent in their view that we need to continue to optimize the use of technology and infrastructure around our WBBL competition,” remarked Dobson.

The new WBBL season, commencing on October 27, will kick off with a rematch between the previous year’s finalists, Adelaide Strikers, and Brisbane Heat. In a bid to enhance fairness and match officiating, the broadcast arrangements for the league have also been improved to support the availability of DRS in the expanded coverage.

Cricket Australia has additionally implemented an innings timer, requiring teams to initiate their final over within 73 minutes into the innings, or face a penalty of having one less fielder outside the 30-yard circle for the innings’ remainder. This adjustment aligns with practices seen in the male counterpart of the league.