Adam Zampa will walk into yet another Big Bash dressing room this summer, and by now he knows the drill.
The Australian leg-spinner is on the move again, signing a two-year deal with the Hobart Hurricanes for BBL16, as reported by SEN’s Tom Morris. It will be his fifth Big Bash franchise, a remarkable tour of duty through the competition for one of its most enduring figures.
Zampa’s fifth stop in a restless BBL career
Zampa leaves the Melbourne Renegades after three seasons, swapping red for purple and stepping into a Hurricanes side that has quietly built a serious platform. Hobart finished third in BBL15, backing up their maiden title defence the season before, and they now add one of the world’s most seasoned white-ball spinners to a squad already used to winning.
The move arrives against the backdrop of a busy domestic reshuffle. Zampa has just left his home state of New South Wales to sign with Queensland for the Australian summer, a decision that had him heavily linked with the Brisbane Heat. Instead, it is Hobart that secures his signature.
For all his global success, one gap still glares on Zampa’s CV. He played central roles in Australia’s T20 World Cup win in 2021 and the ODI World Cup triumph in 2023, yet across 14 of the 15 BBL seasons he has featured in, a Big Bash title has eluded him. Three times he has walked off a beaten finalist: with the Melbourne Stars in 2015/16, 2018/19 and 2019/20.
That long chase for a domestic crown now shifts to Blundstone Arena.
Zampa’s Big Bash journey tells the story of the league itself. He started at the Sydney Thunder, moved to the Adelaide Strikers for BBL03, then settled into an eight-season stint at the Stars, becoming part of the furniture in green. Then came the shock: a switch across town to the Renegades, a move that underlined his willingness to break from comfort in search of opportunity.
At 34, he is still in his prime as a T20 operator and, crucially for Hobart, he is set to be available for the entire campaign. Australia has no limited-overs internationals scheduled between December 2026 and February 2027, with the national focus locked on four home Tests against New Zealand and a five-Test tour of India. For the Hurricanes, that means a full season of Zampa’s overs, experience and game sense.
A champion of the world game, still hunting a Big Bash ring. Hobart believes it can be the place where that story finally changes.
Perth Scorchers add another English weapon
On the other side of the country, the Big Bash’s most decorated club has dipped into England’s talent pool yet again.
Perth Scorchers have signed England leg-spinner Calvin Harrison, who will head to Western Australia for his first professional stint outside England. His arrival came just hours after Adelaide Strikers confirmed Ben Stokes as their marquee recruit, ensuring another strong English flavour to the upcoming season.
Harrison, 28, joins a distinguished list of countrymen who have pulled on the orange: Matt Hurst, Keaton Jennings, Zak Crawley, David Payne, Stephen Eskinazi, Adam Lyth, Tymal Mills, Laurie Evans, Jason Roy, Joe Clarke, Liam Livingstone, Chris Jordan, Tim Bresnan, Ian Bell, David Willey, Michael Carberry and Paul Collingwood have all been part of the Scorchers’ story.
Born in South Africa and raised in New Zealand, Harrison’s path has been anything but straightforward. He joined Somerset’s Academy as a teenager and has quietly carved out a reputation as one of England’s leading T20 spinners. The numbers back it up: 97 wickets at 22.28 across 99 T20 matches, including 10 wickets at 19.7 in this year’s Hundred.
Perth has built its dynasty on shrewd overseas recruitment and clearly sees Harrison as the next piece in that pattern. For the leg-spinner, this is a first look at Australian conditions, a chance to test his craft in a league that has become a proving ground for white-ball specialists.
Zampa chasing a first title in new colours. Harrison stepping into the furnace of the WACA and Optus Stadium as the latest Englishman in orange. The Big Bash carousel keeps turning, and the stakes for BBL16 are already rising.
