Travis Head is Australia's highest scorer in Ashes 2025-26 with 437 runs in eight innings
He wants to keep himself mentally and physically fresh for the upcoming T20 World Cup
He has a contract with the Adelaide Strikers for BBL 2026
Travis Head admitted the Ashes can be an "emotional drain" on a player, as he seeks to stay fresh ahead of the 2026 T20 World Cup.
Head has featured in all four Tests so far, and has played a big part in helping Australia to secure the urn as they take a 3-1 lead into the final Test.
The 32-year-old is the leading scorer by some distance, recording 437 runs across his eight innings so far – including centuries in Perth and Adelaide – with Alex Carey on 291 (six innings) closest to him.
Head is expected to feature in the Sydney Test, which begins on January 3, before Australia then turn their attention to World Cup build-up.
He has a contract with the Adelaide Strikers in the BBL and was expected to feature in the back end of the season after the Ashes concludes, but Head says it is unlikely to happen as he is keen to manage his workload in order to help his national team.
"Probably unlikely [to play in BBL] with the emotional drain of an Ashes series, and what's coming up in terms of the World Cup," he told The Daily Telegraph.
"You go into every series wanting to have a good contribution. I felt like I've been close to that and played really well.
"And the emotional drain of actually being in an Ashes series and playing it is always tough. So I think it's important to go into a World Cup fresh."
Australia have lifted the T20 World Cup trophy just once in their history, in 2021, and are hoping to improve that in this year's tournament, which begins on February 7.
The squad will head to Pakistan for a warm-up series at the end of January, before beginning their World Cup campaign against Ireland on February 11.
Following the tournament, Australia face a packed Test schedule that stretches through 2026 and into 2027, which includes away series against India and England.
"It's a concern with how much we've already been playing and how much time we've got on the road," Head admitted.
"You look at that year [2027] with the young family as well. How can I make that year work?"
