Their proposed start date of November 18 could be pushed back when the ABL meets with the clubs to discuss the 2021-22 campaign.

A revised start date of mid-to-late December looms as a more realistic option.

It's looking increasingly unlikely any imports will be able to come Down Under, with the Major League Baseball clubs pulling out of sending players due to the cost.

Similarly, it's a very expensive exercise for the ABL clubs to bring non-MLB affiliated players from overseas given all the hotel quarantine requirements.

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So if the ABL does go ahead this summer it's looking increasingly likely to be Australian-based players only.

Even that's looking problematic given the Canberra Cavalry, featuring former Shoalhaven Mariners' Cam Warner and Jack Middleton as well as Berkeley Eagles' Steven Kent, have players based in NSW, Victoria and Queensland - all of which might be unable to travel interstate given all the border closures.

The WA government has indicated their borders could remain closed to Australia's east coast until next year due to the coronavirus outbreaks running out of control in NSW and Victoria.

WA premier Mark McGowan said he would keep the borders closed until vaccination levels reached 80-90 per cent.

That casts a massive shadow over the Perth Heat's prospects of taking part in the ABL, which was meant to pitch off on November 18 in Brisbane (headlined by Greenwell Point's Tim Atherton), Canberra and Perth - unless the season was pushed back until WA's borders reopened.

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The Sydney Blue Sox's participation would also have to be in doubt given NSW recorded more than 1400 new COVID-19 cases on Thursday - although premier Gladys Berejiklian has an ambitious plan to hit lockdown restrictions out of the ballpark as soon as they get to 70 per cent vaccinated, which could mean a Sydney "Freedom Day" as early as October 18.

Whether Sydney-based players would be allowed to travel anywhere else in the country's another matter.

It's a similar story for the Melbourne Aces, with Victoria recording 324 cases and seemingly on a similar trajectory to NSW.

It would be a cruel blow to the Cavalry's new owners, who are going into their first ABL season in charge of the men in orange.

They're hoping to return the Cavalry to the pinnacle of the ABL and claim the club's second Claxton Shield.

The Cavalry have announced 13 signings for the upcoming campaign, all Australian based and including Kent, Robbie Perkins, Frank Gailey and Boss Moanaroa.

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