Melbourne Stars open coffers to snatch Finn Allen from Perth Scorchers

Melbourne Stars have handed Finn Allen a hefty paycheck to lure him away from Perth Scorchers ahead of the Big Bash League 2026–27 season. The right‑hander was the leading run‑getter last season, scoring 466 runs in 11 matches at an average of 42.36 and a strike rate of 184.18. His tally included a century, two fifties, 27 fours and 38 sixes.

Allen’s explosive starts were crucial to Scorchers clinching their sixth BBL title. He also enjoyed an outstanding T20 World Cup campaign, amassing 298 runs in nine games at an average of 49.66, including a semifinal century against South Africa. He was the only batter among the tournament’s top scorers to finish with a strike rate of 200.00.

Allen already had a connection with the Stars setup before joining them. He spent the last two seasons of Major League Cricket (MLC) with San Francisco Unicorns, a franchise managed by Cricket Victoria’s high‑performance team, the same group that oversees Stars’ operations in the BBL. Unicorns are coached by Cameron White, who was recently appointed head coach of Melbourne Stars.

Scorchers couldn't retain Allen after the BBL scrapped the overseas draft, opening the door for Stars to secure his services. According to a Cricinfo report, Stars splurged AU$600,000 to sign him.

“The Stars are a powerhouse team in this competition, so it’s going to be a lot of fun playing for them,” Allen said in a statement released by the franchise. “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.”

Melbourne Stars Contracted Players for BBL 16:

Finn Allen, Austin Anlezark, Hilton Cartwright, Sam Harper, Liam Hatcher, Campbell Kellaway, Glenn Maxwell, Todd Murphy, Tom Rogers, Peter Siddle, Marcus Stoinis, Mitch Swepson