Cricket Australia Says Marsh and Short Must Finish BBL16 Before Receiving SA20 Clearance

The board says No Objection Certificates will be issued only after each player's Big Bash campaign ends, a decision that could delay their arrival for SA20's January opener if either team reaches the finals.

Overview

Cricket Australia confirmed on Friday that Mitch Marsh and Matt Short will not receive No Objection Certificates for SA20 2027 until they have completed their full BBL16 commitments.
The timing matters because the SA20 season opens on January 17, 2027 and the final round of the BBL regular season between Perth Scorchers and Adelaide Strikers is the night before that match.
Perth has said Marsh is contractually required to stay with the Scorchers until their season ends, and that obligation would keep him in Australia if Perth qualify for the BBL finals.
Short is operating as a freelance player after losing his national contract but he still must obtain Cricket Australia clearance before joining his SA20 side, so his free-agent status does not bypass the board's control.
The decision underscores that national boards control NOCs under ICC rules and could force SA20 teams to plan for late arrivals or absences if either BBL side reaches the January 19–26 finals window.