The Big Bash League has become one of the major success in the Australian cricket world. The money spinner has been seemingly going from strength to strength since the league started back in late 2011.
The resulting aftermath of this success, especially since Channel 10 took the rights to the league in 2013, has called for expansion of the BBL.
The reality is though that despite how big a success that the BBL has been recently, the quality of the cricket has not actually been that great. The standard of fielding at times has been absolutely diabolical.
In the semi final, Alex Ross was dropped twice, with the first drop admittedly being a pretty tough chance, but the second one was a pretty simple catch for Ben Dwarshuis that went down.
Chris Lynn might have led his side to victory against the Sydney Thunder earlier in the season, but it was after he was dropped numerous times, including by Shane Watson in the final over.
The actual standard of the cricket can be pretty poor as well. As a result of Dwayne Bravo going down for the Renegades, Trent Lawford was called in as his replacement, before another international player was signed.
Trent Lawford is a bowler who can bat a bit, except that he’s not exactly that great a bowler. In his seven Shield games, he averaged 36 with the ball, but take out his one 5fer that average goes up to 41.
In his two one-day games he conceded 119 runs from 85 balls. His most economical performance was going at 7 an over, with all of one wicket. In T20 games, he averages nearly 50, with an economy of nearly nine.
The game between the Adelaide Strikers and Melbourne Renegades is another example of the poor quality of cricket. Adelaide used Michael Neser, Liam O’Connor, Wes Agar and Ben Laughlin as their bowlers along with the overseas Ish Sodhi and Kieron Pollard.
Of those four, only Laughlin and Neser have played a Sheffield Shield game. Thanks to his status as a limited overs specialist, Laughlin last played a Shield match in early 2012, which saw Luke Ronchi play for WA as an Australian. Ronchi has played Test matches for New Zealand.
Neser can be in and out of the Queensland side, while Agar has only played five one day games. This is the sort of attack we should start expecting on a more regular basis if we have BBL expansion. Is that what we want for Australian cricket? To have an attack containing an in and out Shield player, one T20 specialist, two inexperienced players backed up by two international players?
If there was expansion, it’d probably see two new teams. If squad sizes were to stay at the current 18, and even if there was another international player allowed per team, this leaves 24 new players to come into the ‘system’.
Who would that 24 make up of? More grade players like Lawford. More young talent, like Agar and O’Connor. The result would be, we would see more players like Cameron Gannon getting a gig, despite barely playing any domestic cricket recently.
We’d see more Brad Hodge and Dave Hussey, keeping on going despite their age. We’d see more Liam Bowes seemingly coming out of nowhere and playing in the BBL. Is this the spectacle we want to see in the BBL. A side filled out of the not quite good enough, too old and the too young?
Until the scheduling of the Australian summer changes to allow more players to play the Big Bash rather than the ODIs, the gap between players is simply too large for expansion to be an option.
The next 24 players in Australian cricket to earn BBL contracts, most likely, aren’t ready. The quality needs to be there, and currently, the quality isn’t there, to justify BBL expansion
Bakkies
Guest
The issue with Canberra is that currently there is no suitable practice and development facilities to host a team and get an ACT team back in to the 50 overs comp. Plans have to been lodged to build such a facility
BrainsTrust
Guest
How is the BBL below international cricket when in the West Indies the top tier play Big Bash. I am sure the whole Pakistan team would have jumped ship, and two big name South Africans have to England. BBL is top of the tree for most test playing countries. Sheffield Shield is about tenth tier beneath below all the various Big Bash Leagues. Hong Kon big bash has Afridi who should be in the Pakistan one day side.
BrainsTrust
Guest
Average attendance is the biggest joke when you can apply it to an 8 game season versus a 160 game season in AMerican baseball. Major League Baseball in the US has 30 teams as well and a total attendance of 70 million. NFL makes up for having a smaller season by having much higher ticket prices. Where would the Big Bash compare on total gate receipts, would it be top 200?
Michael Keeffe
Roar Guru
The reality is that a much different skill set is required for t20 compared to Shield cricket, particularly for the bowlers. Of the top 20 shield wicket takers this season only two of them (Scott Boland and Mitch Swepson) are in the top 20 bbl wicket takers and only Jackson Bird, Ashton Agar Dan Christian and Steve O'Keefe were guaranteed starters for the BBL sides. And in reality Agar and Christian are mainly selected as allrounders in the BBL. If it weren't for injury you could add in Jon Holland and Jason Behrendorff as regular starters. Chadd Sayers, Peter George, Trent Copeland, Simon Mackin and Luke Feldmen either aren't signed to a BBL team or didn't get a game for their respective squads. Meanwhile Chris Tremain, Kane Richardson, Joe Mennie, Cameron Stevenson, Simon Milenko, Will Somerville and Doug Bollinger were in and out of their sqauds as either fringe players or were dropped after poor performances in the first half of bbl. So citing a lack of Shield players in bbl starting teams isn't a real indicator of a lack of strength in the bbl but more an indicator of the different skill sets required to succeed in either arena. The very best players are able to to do both, but many of the others don't have the ability to adapt their game successfully to multiple formats.
Magnus M. Østergaard
Roar Guru
Or they could add an extra international position to each team and make it so ODI and the BBL don't play at the same time. They are drawing the majority of players out of the BBL for the ODI and that dilutes the product. Play tests and BBL I am fine with as a lot of short form specialists don't play tests.
Steve
Guest
Why do we need Australians playing? -- Comment from The Roar's iPhone app.
Chris Kettlewell
Roar Guru
Probably the correct statement is that Australian cricket doesn't have the quantity for expansion. The quality is definitely there, but the BBL is already pulling in a number of players who are basically just grade cricketers with day jobs the rest of the time who don't even get a look-in with their state teams at first class or List A level. Some of these players have actually done really well and while still being a long way from playing first class cricket, at the T20 level have really made it their own. Others are clearly more making up the numbers and struggling to match that level. Expanding the BBL would certainly see a lot more of the latter needing to be pulled in. Maybe that would result in more of those sorts of players significantly improving and becoming good enough. But we just don't know that. Certainly if they expanded they could consider increasing the number of foreign players allowed to help make up for it. You could add a couple of teams and make it 4 foreign players instead of 2, and the result of that is actually needing a few less local first team players than you currently have while adding 2 teams. Of course, then there's the question of whether there are enough quality foreign players they can get to make it 4 per team for 10 teams, that's 40 foreign players across the league where you will always struggle to get a lot of top SA, NZ, Indian and Sri Lankan players as it's in-season for them at home. At the moment it's 16 foreign players and it's a bit of a struggle to fill those spots (when in reality you need several more than that as players come and go with international commitments and are replaced by others). So that may not be viable either. But the bigger issue is that I don't know the BBL can really expand easily. In it's current form, right in the middle of summer, it really can't be any longer. So if you add a couple more teams and play more games then there would just have to be a lot more double headers or even games played simultaneously where they maybe broadcast the second game on One or Eleven. With all other domestic cricket put on hold for a while to play this and then returning to the Shield afterwards, it can't go any longer than it does.
jamesb
Guest
If I were to expand the BBL, I'd go to nine teams and increase the imports to three a side. People may think that with nine teams, a team will have a bye. But with a BBL match on every night, you wouldn't even notice a team having a bye. But I do agree with the sentiment of the article. At times, the BBL has been average. Entertaining, but average.
Working Class Rugger
Guest
Internal Fixation, The overall growth in attendance (5th in the world on average) and TV ratings suggests otherwise.
Working Class Rugger
Guest
The only expansion in terms of the BBL anytime soon would in in terms of number of games played from the current 8 to say 14 as is the case with the WBBL. I largely agree that while there may be markets for teams (e.g. Canberra) the quality is questionable. Not saying CA shouldn't look at a form of expansion though. Both in terms of player and franchise development. Currently there is a state based Futures League T20 tournament featuring state U23s teams. I'd alter that to include the groups that are looking to bid for future expansion places. This allows them to build their organisations while providing further professional playing opportunities for up and coming talent. The opportunity to train and play in such environments is what is desperately needed to ensure the next 120 odd blokes are of high enough quality to make the jump when called for.
Michael Fallon
Roar Rookie
Yeah, the main way I think expansion could be a viable option, was if CA opened up more opportunities for the Australian players to actually play in the BBL. But that'd likely involve a pretty big schedule change (because like it or not, I seriously doubt CA will just dump playing the ODIs). If you moved the ODIs to late November/early December and have Tests start around say the time period where the Brisbane test was played this year and continue on with that until Australia Day, more players would be able to play BBL potentially.
Michael Fallon
Roar Rookie
I think there are areas such as Canberra, the Gold Coast etc who could host a Big Bash League, no question. The BBL and the Sheffield Shield are on the same 'tier' of Australian cricket, Domestic cricket, and below international cricket, while being above grade cricket. My issue with BBL expansion, is that it'll see more grade cricketers into the BBL and dilute the quality of the league because of this. The likes of Lawford and Craig Simmons of years gone by, were inferior by a large margin in my opinion at times to their teammates and opponents. While Simmons may have hit those 2 tons, there were numerous times where he was outclassed by someone like Brett Lee and others. I personally don't feel that the BBL would be enhanced with more Simmons, Lawford's etc.
Magnus M. Østergaard
Roar Guru
I don't think you are on the right train of thought here. I'm not sure why First Class cricket has anything to do with BBL. BBL is a domestic league so wouldn't the state leagues be the next level down? The issues with catching is a matter of coaching, not poor playing abilities. I think the crowds and the lights also affect this. But on your main point, I think we could have an extra team in Canberra. They only have 2 major teams playing in domestic leagues and the summer schedule is wide open.
Internal Fixation
Guest
Spot on. I think people will start turning off soon. CAs trump card is to condense the BBL a bit and get the big names back in after the Jan test. This would be at the expense of OdIs. Although through excitement and innovation the BBL has gotten away with some pretty shoddy bowlers and players this was exposed this year, particularly for Adelaide as you mention. There has been a noticeable decline in member attendance at Striker games this year compared to the last 2 seasons.
Jeff Dustby
Guest
Incorrect