Sydney Sixers courting Steve Smith, Josh Hazlewood and Mitchell Starc for Big Bash

Cricket Australia’s summer schedule is set to open the door for Steve Smith to make his long-awaited return to the Big Bash League.

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Steve Smith is firmly in line to make a surprise return to the Big Bash League next summer, with the schedule set to allow the injection of star power for the business-end of the competition.

The Sydney Sixers have held preliminary discussions with Smith about making his first appearance in the BBL for more than four seasons, with the club hopeful they can also lure back Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood and “get the band back together”.

Cricket Australia is set to release its summer schedule on Tuesday, and while the Australian one-day side is locked into the disastrous predicament of bailing out at the height of the summer for matches in India in early-mid January, the silver-lining is the nation’s biggest players should be back and fully available for the end of the BBL and when the whips are cracking in a new-look finals system.

Steve Smith is set to make a return to the Big Bash next season. Picture: Brett Costello

BBL chiefs will either switch to a new system where the top two sides get an extra bite of the cherry, or introduce an expanded five-team playoffs.

AB de Villiers is expected to announce which BBL team he will play for next week with it shaping as a three-horse race between the Brisbane Heat and the two Sydney franchises the Sixers and Thunder.

The fact the South African great and Australia’s international superstars will all be available for the finals, shapes as an enormous boost for a competition which lacked box office names at stages last summer.

It’s understood David Warner is less likely to play despite also being approached by BBL clubs, but all signs point to Smith and possibly Hazlewood and Starc making their long-awaited returns to a domestic competition they’ve been absent from for several years.

Steve Smith impressed with Rajasthan Royals in the IPL this season. Picture: AFP

“If it could work within our list and with the schedule then we’d be absolutely looking to have Steve back in the squad again,” Sixers general manager Jodie Hawkins said.

“We’d love to get the band together with Steve and also Mitchell and Josh. Obviously a lot of things need to fall into place for that to happen. But it would be pretty exciting if it did.”

Smith, Starc and Hazlewood were original Sixers, but after several seasons of taking up spots on the list and not being able to play due to international commitments, they eventually moved off and into ambassador roles.

The BBL will look to better cater to its audience next summer and when school holidays end, games will likely only be played between Thursday-Sunday.

It’s understood the Brisbane Heat have based their strong pitch to de Villiers on the Queensland lifestyle, and access to the Gold Coast beaches and theme parks for his young family.

The Sixers and Thunder have similarly talked up life on the beach in Sydney.

Melbourne’s chance might be if Stars’ boss Eddie McGuire pulls some major strings around town, but salary cap pressure could limit his chances, as well as for the Renegades.

Cricket Australia have agreed to a generous top up to de Villiers’ contract for whichever club signs him, underlining their desperation to get one of the biggest names in world cricket on board.