The ongoing 12th edition of the Big Bash League (BBL) will grow in size with the return of nine Australian men's Test players.
Nine players from Australia's most recent Test XI, including David Warner, Steve Smith, Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Travis Head, Alex Carey, Nathan Lyon, Matthew Renshaw, and Ashton Agar, will join their BBL clubs this week following their 2-0 Test series victory over South Africa.
Warner will play for the Sydney Thunder in a home match against the Perth Scorchers on Friday for the first time in nine years. He will play five games for the club for which he scored the first-ever century in the BBL in December 2011.
Smith and Lyon will return to the Sydney Sixers lineup for their match against the Perth Scorchers on Sunday at the Sydney Cricket Ground.
Ashton Agar will rejoin the Scorchers, who have also recently welcomed back Lance Morris from the extended Test squad.
On Saturday at the SCG, Warner, Smith, Lyon, and their respective teams will face off in the Sydney Smash.
Khawaja could make his Brisbane Heat debut on Wednesday, joining Marnus Labuschagne and Matthew Renshaw in the lineup. Their additions to the Heat's batting lineup will help them keep their Finals hopes alive against the Scorchers at the Gabba.
Head and Carey will also return to the Adelaide Strikers in time for the First Nations Round, where they will make their first BBL 12 appearance on Saturday at Adelaide Oval. They join a top order that just completed the highest run chase in BBL history against the Hobart Hurricanes.
With less than three weeks left in the BBL-12 home and away season, all teams are still in contention for the finals, making the return of Australia's biggest names critical to securing a playoff berth.
"Everyone across the League is pumped to welcome members of Australia's world number one Test team back into the BBL for the run to the Finals," said Alistair Dobson, Cricket Australia's General Manager Big Bash Leagues.
"This BBL season has had it all, from a hat-trick to record-breaking scores and run chases, big crowds at marquee games and huge audiences every night across Seven and Foxtel."