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Let's expand the BBL with two teams in New Zealand

Brendon McCullum was - is - a leader of men. (AFP PHOTO / MARTY MELVILLE)
Roar Guru
31st March, 2015
14

The most pleasing aspect of the Cricket World Cup was the incredible rise of New Zealand.

Sure they couldn’t come up with the goods on the final day but the way they tossed aside more experienced cricketing nations like so much chaff was an eye opener for many casual fans.

From the opposite side of the Tasman you get the impression that cricket in New Zealand has never been so popular. I suspect that for many a new fan, the Black Caps are a team they never realised they had.

Obviously it will never approach the fan worship status of the All Blacks but that is not really the point. The seasons have very little overlap, and it is not as though following either team is mutually exclusive.

How can New Zealand cricket maintain the momentum in popular support while continuing to improve their playing stocks? This is where their conquerors, combined with a new cricketing calendar, can help out and provide benefits for both countries.

Two New Zealand teams in the BBL
While more regular trans-Tasman international contact should and will happen, it is always prone to the vagaries of economics.

Australia will always feel the allure of rupee and the pound and however well intentioned, it may be that international competition between the Anzac nations will not be as regular as hoped. The on-again off-again trans-Tasman Cup is a case in point.

Having two Kiwi Big Bash League franchises would provide New Zealand with a permanent foothold in the Australian sports market. On the field it would benefit players, with some sorely needed experience in Australian conditions. Sure it’s only a 20-over competition but a lack of exposure to a variety of pitch types, not a lack of technique, is the Kiwis’ problem.

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Assuming that the two teams would be composed mainly of locals, it potentially exposes more than just the 11 national team players to Australian conditions.

This New Zealand expansion of the BBL would mean that the Australian talent pool is not drained as might happen in a Canberra/Geelong type expansion. TV broadcasters would have the same quality product with the added benefit of additional content and an extra timezone, allowing for some double/triple headers on weekends or public holidays,

Synchronising the southern hemisphere calendar
Like Australia, New Zealand and South Africa have both recently expressed interest in building a tradition of the Boxing Day Test. Therefore a synchronised calendar could bring mutual benefits to the Southern Hemisphere nations.

This is how I would structure it.

Early November: an ODI series against the incoming Test side. This should have more of an appeal than the disconnected Australia-South Africa series last November.

Late November to early January: a Test series, similar to what happens now.

Early January to late January: A block for T20 competitions (which would still start before Christmas). This would allow Test players to play for their BBL franchises for around half a season. Overseas superstars could also play during this time – Virat Kohli playing at the MCG for the Stars would add 20,000 to the gate.

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Early to mid February: Finish the season with two to three weeks of ODIs. This has the advantage of breaking up the overload of international matches, which is part of the reason ODIs (World Cup excluded) have had declining attendances in recent times.

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