Australia’s superstar cricketer Travis Head has hinted that he will miss the ongoing Big Bash League (BBL) season due to burnout concerns. The left-handed opener said he wants to stay fresh for next year’s T20 World Cup, which begins on February 7, especially after playing a major role in Australia retaining the Ashes urn.
Describing the ongoing Ashes battle as emotionally draining, Head said he needed a break ahead of what promises to be another tough season of cricket next year. The 32-year-old has already had a busy domestic summer, featuring in the white-ball series against India before playing a Sheffield Shield match in preparation for the Ashes. Head was in war form in the Ashes and hit two crucial hundreds, including a whirlwind 123 in the series opener in Perth.
When asked about taking part in the Adelaide Strikers in the BBL, Head told News Corp: “Probably unlikely, given the emotional drain of the Ashes series and what’s coming up in terms of the World Cup.
“The emotional drain of actually being in an Ashes series and playing is always tough. So I think it’s important to go into the World Cup fresh.”
Head has not appeared for the Adelaide Strikers since the 2022–23 season in the Big Bash League. The star batsman has regularly skipped Australia’s premier domestic T20 competition in recent years to prioritize international commitments and the Indian Premier League since the tournament returns in 2024. Head has been an integral part of the SunRisers Hyderabad line-up, forming a devastating opening partnership with Abhishek Sharma. When SRH reached the final in 2024, he scored 567 runs at a staggering 191.59, followed by another prolific season in 2025.
The BBL, which began on December 14, was once again without several of Australia’s top Test stars due to the Ashes. Unlike the IPL, the BBL does not have an exclusive window and continues to conflict with Australia’s international calendar.
While Head is unlikely to feature this season, the likes of Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood may also miss out on the T20 competition as they race against time to get full fitness ahead of the T20 World Cup. Cummins, nursing a back niggle, played only the Adelaide Test during the Ashes before opting out of the rest of the series.
Hazlewood, meanwhile, has been sidelined for the entirety of the Ashes after suffering a recurring hamstring injury, which was further complicated by subsequent Achilles soreness during his rehabilitation.
The BBL suffered another setback on Tuesday when Pakistan fast bowler Shaheen Afridi was ruled out for the rest of the season with a knee injury. Afridi, Brisbane Heat’s number one draft pick, featured in just three matches before being recalled by the Pakistan Cricket Board to ensure his recovery is carefully managed ahead of the T20 World Cup.
In particular, Shaheen Afridi, Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan have been exempted from Pakistan’s upcoming T20I series against Sri Lanka and have been given permission to play in the BBL.
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Issued by:
Akshay Ramesh
Published on:
December 31, 2025
