BBL grand finalists Adelaide Strikers and Hobart Hurricanes have praised as common sense the release of some Australian players for the tournament decider.
Strikers captain Travis Head and wicketkeeper-batsman Alex Carey and Hurricanes opener D'Arcy Short fly to Adelaide on Sunday, in time to play in the BBL finale.
The trio have been granted a release from the Australian Twenty20 squad in Sydney, in a move welcomed by Hobart skipper George Bailey and Strikers vice-captain Colin Ingram.
"You just want your best players playing so it's great for both teams and great for the tournament," Bailey told reporters in Adelaide on Saturday.
"As players, if we want top be winning a tournament, we want to be winning against the absolute best.
"And you want to be playing in the best possible team you can, so it's a great compromise."
Adelaide's Head was his side's match-winner in a white-knuckle last-ball semi-final win against Melbourne Renegades on Friday night.
Head cracked 85 from 57 balls and then flew to Sydney to rejoin the Australian T20 squad - but he won't play in the tri-series opener against New Zealand on Saturday.
Head will fly back to Adelaide with Carey and Short for the grand final, which starts at 4.30pm AEDT.
"It's just another big confidence boost going into the grand final," Ingram told reporters on Saturday.
"Getting a couple of players back is great for the group. Everyone is in the best space we have been in through the season."
But Adelaide will be without their legspinning trumpcard Rashid Khan, who flew out of Adelaide on Saturday to join his Afghanistan teammates for a series against Zimbabwe.
Rashid took 18 wickets - the equal-most in the competition - and conceded the least runs per over of any bowler.
"Someone should have just hid his passport away, to be honest," Ingram said.
"He has been a great contributor for us .. he's a wholehearted cricketer and it's obviously sad to see him go."
Fellow leggie Liam O'Connor, who hasn't played all tournament, is in the frame to replace Rashid.
"We have been planning for it for a number of weeks," Ingram said.
"Liam has been preparing for this game ... he's an exciting spinner so if he gets a chance, I'm looking forward to seeing him bowl."
