It's time for Cricket Australia to decide what the Big Bash League will be

The bare fact is that BBL adds to the cricket package, especially via kids and families. Attendances are the evidence. For CA, that should be the primary outcome. Strategically, TV cash is secondary although good to have. The real problem - in all ways - is the one-day experience. It's too long for kids and too short for dedicated followers. In fact, effectively it is not too different from the first innings of Test or Shield matches. It lacks the excitement and the involvement of BBL It is not innovative - not any more. Both one-day and T20 matches can peter out but one takes some eight hours to do so, the other only three. Nobody goes to the movies or even the beach for eight hours. T20 (which I find middling boring) leads to youngsters eventually playing grade cricket, then Shield and then Tests. One day does not do that - it's the same people doing the same thing. As for fielding - while I agree with the comments, I ask what is the influence of night lighting? There is also a much higher incidence of catching opportunities, compared with any other format. The success percentages may not be much different.

I've had enough already, in the chase of the almighty dollar CA have, with their scheduling, managed to wreck our One Day team, nearly wreck our Test Team & have not improved our 20/20 team, we played our One Day Comp nearly 3 months ago, sandwiched a few Shield games in between then elongated our 20/20 comp, chucked a few 20/20 players into our One Day team who by the way have not adjusted along with our test players, after this it's back to the shield while our test players will be in SA with some players who are not in form, need I go on.

Agree with much of what you have to say here Ryan. However, I would argue that 39 days of cricket is far better than anything else Channel 10 has in their library. At least it's a month and a bit of something actually worth watching on a channel otherwise devoid of anything remotely reaching a label of 'entertainment.' On a more serious note, I've wondered whether the summer of cricket has been reaching the point of oversaturation. We have three different formats of the sport, at both domestic and international levels being played. When T20 first showed up on the scene, commentators asked the question whether three different formats was going to be too many, and that has managed to be staved off for a few years thanks to the novelty factor that T20 still had. I'm not sure it's going to last - eventually, you would think, something has to give. I watched the Ashes with real interest, and like you, started out this BBL season really into it, before letting it drift away a bit. I'm still keeping up with the scores, and just barely avoided being scolded by a date the other night after I drifted away from her during a walk through Brisbane's mall because the Scorchers/Heat game was being broadcast on the big screen and I needed to see where the score was at, but as a whole, my interest has waned a little with the longer season. I've always envisioned the possibility that we eventually lose the Matador Cup from domestic cricket, leaving us with Shield and BBL, and then pull back T20I cricket to exhibition games rather than a stand alone tournament. The other option that I'd almost prefer is something CA have started experimenting with bringing back the tri-series competition, but I'd love to see these sorts of competitions begin to include one or more associate nations. Sure, we expect to see Australia v England in the final, but why not have the competition as a mix of double-headers and single matches between England, Australia, and two associate or affiliate nations? I know it won't happen, but a man can dream..

Giod article till near the end when you suggested moving it off free to air - even in lart this would be suicide for this comp.

I don't think that BBL is stale but showing new episodes of The Project during January is too much exposure on Channel 10. The return of The Project on 9 January resulted in the nightly games to be telecasted at 7:30PM (EDT). Adelaide viewers had to miss the first 10 minutes of the broadcast. Unfortunately, this caused lots of criticism on social media of Channel 10 Adelaide's programming. A 1-hour Project bulletin is too long during the BBL season. Starting a match at 7:40PM (Sydney Time) would be too long. If the new broadcasting rights came to place, I think they should either trim 30 mins of The Project or don't air them during the season. Some people don't want to watch The Project because of the extreme left wing talk coming from Walled, Carrie and Peter. I have stopped watching This current affairs talk show a few years ago.

Warner and Bancroft's batting made it a 'modest run chase'. That's what good opening is about. A few other strong 50 plus opening partnerships too. Now, go back to the rest of the summer. Are you overlooking that because it doesn't suit you? You guys who just ignore some parts of a batsman's performance just because you choose to dislike that player are strange. Why can't you appreciate a number of them at once and together?

The Big Bash is the biggest blight on Australian Cricket and the scheduling people say it brings in all this revenue yet Cricket Australia state that it cost more in expenses than they bring in to run the competition. You created a comp with plastic teams apart from the Scorchers than you get get fly in fly out players whether they are Australian or not playing in teams with limited preparation. Yet the ECB are stupid enough to go down the same path. South Africa finished their Base Ball league before Christmas and have ten tests scheduled between October and March. Yes Australians will say this is Australia and South Africa is not relevant. So bloody what it is the same season and school holiday period. The past two years Australia has been prepared to tour in March picking players from outside the test XI with limited recent first class form. In an ideal world Easter holidays like Christmas would be at the same time every year so you could schedule the Australian Open tennis championships then, push proper Cricket towards then and the AFL find their own stadiums to play on. Unfortunately we don't have that.

so when do you fit in Australias tour of South Africa or Englands tour of New Zealand? You want them to play in winter?

Can't move the international ODI's and T20 out of the current window. Both Australia and England have international commitments elsewhere, as will whoever visits in future years. The BBL runs at a loss, and the international team get priority as they bring in the money. Their games will not play second fiddle to glorified hit and giggle. The domestic structure is set up accordingly, with 5 shield games, then BBL, then another 5 shield games. The dates of the BBL can't be moved. It is promoted as a family event, with tickets priced accordingly. You won't get a crowd when kids have to go to school the next day. And TV ratings will drop off More day games wont work as CA want the TV money and TV want games played when most eyes are available. If the international players were increased you will get more of the players who can't get a run for their national teams, or retired guys after one more pay cheque The number of games needs to be reduced. Unless its a public holiday ditch the Monday and Tuesday games. The game is getting stale because of the sameness. It's the same players every year. Where are the next batch of players coming through? The last crop had guys like Head and Lynn, who is coming through now? The reality is the BBL is a second rate competition. The national team is the priority, this is for the has-beens and never-will-bes. Everybody knows who has won the last couple of NRL and AFL competitions. How many know who won last years BBL, or if a particular team has ever won one? CA need are in a bad spot. TV contract is up, ratings and attendance are down, nobody knows what CBS want to do, they are wary of giving it to Fox. They desperately want it to turn a profit. Rename it the Big Bash Theory. It's simple, for some reason popular, on every night of the week, the next one is just like the last one and its all easily forgotten

The problem is The Melbourne Stars and Sydney Sixers have been pathetic until now. The kids love the game. Other versions of the game are dying with only the Ashes keeping Test cricket and senile old men alive. Its like footy where one team doesn't really turn up so you stop watching. So when did you last see Shield cricket televised and just check out the staggering crowd numbers in attendance. You won't need to be able to count past 100 no matter the quality of players on display. The ODI format misses the mark completely and takes the players out of the Big Bash. That is due to the incompetence of Cricket Australia management.

Good article. I went to my first BBL match at the SCG last week. To me it was like they were trying to give a cricket match a basketball atmosphere. Except a basketball game is a lot more intimate and shorter in duration. Fair play for trying, but it isn't sustainable. I would also add the crowd were uneducated. starting the slow hand clap as the bowler walks back to his mark...? What? And then the Mexican wave kicked off in the penultimate over of the first innings. That is not a good sign. As for the standard of play. It hasn't dropped. It was rubbish from the get go, and remains rubbish. Hitting balls a long way off 45 year old spin bowlers and A-grade medium pacers looks as impressive as the international standard, but it obviously isn't. Re-iterating that it is largely an uneducated crowd. - That isn't meant to sound snobbish, it is just the way it is.

Don knows all!

I thought that perhaps the Big Bash should expand beyond it's 8 teams but now I think if they do expand to 10 teams, that they shouldn't expand the number of games played. 7 seasons of Big Bash and the hard questions have to be asked - is it going to be a proper cricket "league" or is it going to be a "tournament round robin"? I think it's going to be the latter because although the crowds are good and TV ratings still solid, the novelty factor has worn off and it needs more than fireworks, music, cheerleaders for people to maintain interest. Cricket Australia will have to decide soon because if they do make the BBL the focal point of the cricket season, then they will need to get it right, because once T20 gets boring, then what is there left for cricket to do? Disclaimer: I don't watch much BBL, I prefer test cricket and one day cricket instead.

Yes, Don. At test level Bancroft has struggled . . . really struggled! Apart from the one 2nd innings during a modest run chase has looked out of his depth. Shield and JLT runs count for nought

I think part of the problem is with the fixtures. Why the heck did the Scorchers have to wait near the end of the tournament to the play the Strikers? Also, the match day experience is getting quite boring its the same as every year with that annoying background noise on the tv. Even the player interviews are getting stale in that they don't offer a lot of insight. Gus the Goose was also getting stale on 10. I agree with Roy fielding has been poor during this BBL. There was a game where Heat dropped 3/4 catches and all it needed was Benny Hill music in the background.

nice article I'd like to add that I think part of the problem is that the teams from the bigger cities are out of the tournament pretty quickly. Both melbourne and sydney sides have done poorly again and wont make the finals. Thats a huge amount of the audience gone

I think the rag tag comment is false also, but by the same token outside a couple of stars like Short and Carey, the batting has been largely woeful, captaincy also. If my Adelaide Strikers had Carey removed, they would likely be in the bottom 3. Hurricanes also with Short. That does not reflect well on their batting depth and could kill them in the finals.

I have no idea why they can't use a plane.

I'd argue, Don, but the comments section of the Roar is not the place.

It's clear you're watching the tennis or something else. If you haven't found D'Arcy Short or Alex Carey as engaging as hit or miss Chris Gayle, you don't get the game. That makes it cricket and AFL for you.