Last Updated on 17 minutes ago by Charbel Coorey
Melbourne Stars have poached Finn Allen from the Perth Scorchers in what is the biggest deal in Big Bash League (BBL) history. With the player draft now a thing of the past, the Scorchers were unable to retain Allen, with the Stars acquiring his services for approximately AU$600,000 for at least the first year.
The New Zealander is one of the top T20 players in the world. He played a crucial role in the Scorchers’ title-winning 2025/26 campaign, smashing 466 runs at an average of 42.4 and strike rate of 184.2.
Finn Allen excited to join Melbourne Stars for BBL 2026/27 season
The Scorchers reportedly attempted to keep Allen, but were outbid comfortably by the Stars. This could be the Stars’ last opportunity to win a BBL title before privatisation (and potentially team name changes) comes into effect for the 2027/28 season and beyond.
“The Stars are a powerhouse team in this competition, so it’s going to be a lot of fun playing for them,” Allen said, as quoted by Cricinfo. “They’ve already got a huge fanbase and they’re only getting bigger, and I can’t wait to be a part of that.
“I think all cricketers love playing at the MCG, so to be able to call that my home ground now is really exciting.”
Allen’s salary is likely to be higher than that of the top Australian players, which could cause some angst. Earlier this year, reports emerged that local players were unhappy with the fact that overseas players were earning much more than even top local talent.
Despite the removal of the player draft, Adam Zampa believes overseas players are still the winners.
“It’s probably not landed exactly where we thought it might. I think the overseas players are still getting the good end of the deal,” Zampa said.
“But I’m happy with my decision. As soon as the embargo lifted, I was pretty keen to sign with Hobart. I think I’ve made a really good choice.”
