How many times have we heard this summer that there’s no first-class cricket on from which to judge and select players for Tests?
The Big Bash League has seized the attention of our players, ruining their shot selection and destroying their ability to build an innings, and is generally the root of all our problems in the Test arena.
Does that sound familiar?
I’m a firm believer that there is a lot of truth in that statement, but I also acknowledge that it sweeps aside the benefits of the BBL, and there are many. For one, it’s clearly a commercial success and draws plenty of eyes to the game that might otherwise not watch. Don’t discount the impact of the money that brings into CA’s coffers, which presumably helps with everything from the grassroots through to subsidising the Sheffield Shield and helping finance the massive costs of the Test team.
It also bring exposure to players people would otherwise have never heard of while building certain aspects of a player’s games. After all, without their IPL experience and successes, would players like Rishabh Pant and Washington Sundar be able to take apart Australia’s much-vaunted bowling attack? Can we categorically say that the BBL isn’t providing similar experiences to Australia’s young players, albeit though clearly not under the same pressures?
The BBL is good – for some things (Photo by Scott Barbour/Getty Images)
So where are we, then?
The past few years have demonstrated that Cricket Australia and their commercial partners simply won’t move the Big Bash, and the obvious victim is the Shield.
While we can acknowledge the benefits of the BBL, there is no denying that it damages the development of our first-class players. Splitting the season in two and taking time to play hit and giggle – or, in many cases, sit on a bench and watch others do it, not to mention those who don’t get a gig and presumably stare into the emptiness for a few months – stops any momentum a player might have, breaks rhythm and sends the message that those who specialise in first-class cricket aren’t really a priority anymore.
I think there’s a solution – or, rather, I want to suggest an option which Cricket Australia should consider picking up. It seems obvious to me that there needs to be first-class cricket through the Big Bash window, though obviously the Shield cannot run due to player availability.
Based on the 2020-21 player contracts, there are 160 contracted first-class players at the moment split between CA, state and rookie contracts. Sure, there are eight BBL teams, but seeing that their numbers are bolstered by T20 specialists, foreign players and more clubbies than you’d expect, it seems like a few of those 160 players might be sitting around doing not much.
Again, if you’re a Matt Renshaw, Usman Khawaja, Joe Burns, Travis Head or Jhye Richardson, would you rather play BBL or continue building a case for your inclusion in the Test squad? And that’s mentioning blokes that at least get to play – just how warm is the seat Kurtis Patterson is occupying over at the Scorchers this season?
CA should give fringe Test players and aspiring red-ball specialists the option of continuing to play red-ball cricket. Get a squad of 25 blokes together and organise a mini-tournament that runs concurrently with the Big Bash. Of course it would be better with three teams rather than two, but let’s start small and see how we go.
If they like, they can shake the teams up slightly each round so players learn to adapt to changing squads, but however you do it, it will allow for players to find form against a red ball during the Australian summer rather than being dropped from the Test team and trying to find form in the BBL, as we’ve seen with Joe Burns and now Travis Head.
It also gives somewhere for players short on confidence, like Nathan Lyon and Mitchell Starc, to hopefully play a few games and work on their game before inevitably shipping out for the next Test assignment.
Where would Joe Burns really rather be? (Photo by Bradley Kanaris/Getty Images)
Of course there are drawbacks. The players will be sacrificing some pay by doing this. Cricket Australia could consider contracting them for the period at the base rate of a BBL contract – around $40,000 – unless they already hold a Cricket Australia contract. This will likely stop some players, particularly those in the later stage of their careers, from taking part, which is a pity. However, if they prioritise earning BBL dollars over their Test aspirations, that’s their choice.
The other obvious concern is the quality of the Big Bash itself. Already starved for big-name domestic players, this would likely take many of the remaining household names out of action as well. I don’t have a suggestion for how to get our international stars playing the BBL short of actually making a schedule that works or moving the BBL window, but I doubt either of those can happen.
One possibility on that front is to shorten the BBL season, play only a few key games – for example, New Year’s Eve in Adelaide and a few other popular fixtures – during the Test series and then fill in January and early February with the rest of the BBL season. At least then fans could have a chance to see Steve Smith, Pat Cummins and Marnus Labuschagne in their colour of choice.
However, if we’re potentially taking names out, how about we give the option for them to go back in? To satisfy the BBL and to ensure quality stays high, why not allow another overseas pick per team?
Regardless, I think Cricket Australia needs to do something to ensure there is constant first-class cricket throughout summer and that our developing and fringe Test players can mount a better case for selection than smacking a few boundaries at Manuka one evening. Given the realities around the BBL, the best way forward is for a series of Cricket Australia XI games organised throughout the BBL window that include any and all players who want to push for Test selection or aspire to eventual Test selection.
After losing to India this summer, Cricket Australia need to do something, and this could just be a step in the right direction. If they’re really serious, they could even repeat the concept – with a bigger pool of available players – during the winter months with games played in Alice Springs, Darwin and other parts of northern Australia.
What have we got to lose by trying? After all, I’m sure Kurtis Patterson would rather be playing at the Alan Border Field or Karen Rolton Oval than warming that seat for the Scorchers.
Vea
Roar Rookie
Why not run a state under 23’s or another age, state group, red ball comp during the Sheffield break???
Michael
Guest
Where did the India player’s who put us to the sword come from? IPL not their first class scene. It’s not the BBL that’s the issue, it is the size of the talent pool and their preparation much earlier in their career
Dwanye
Roar Rookie
Lol. Prob along same reason ICC head quarters is off in a wacky place.
AREH
Roar Guru
Nice! As discussed in this thread, during this lengthy period during home seasons devoid of Shield cricket which we've essentially been forced to get used to, where do those without BBL appearances - or contracts altogether - especially those with test ambitions, continue their hardened red-ball exposure? (Aside from grade, admittedly) The Shield season doesn't necessarily have to run alongside the entire test match period either, just most of it would be sure better than what we have currently. I know long-form only players are a rapidly dying breed, but... Right now, what about those without BBL contracts or much game time, like Hunt, Whiteman, Patterson, Doran, Street, Nielsen, Solway, Sayers, Paris...there's potentially more. These guys will have like...three odd months between Shield matches It doesn't have to be overhauled completely, as I understand the range of other factors, especially dollars, but christ...anything might be better than the current sham we have
Dwanye
Roar Rookie
Nice idea. Not all can make the big 20/20 comps, style wise. Use all the internals skilled players to warm up out test team. Lol. I used to love the pre season league comps, some amalgamated teams, building for the premiership. I remember the WSC packer had the guys not selected playing in other teams to keep fitness up, playing games in regional places. I thought it was amazing.
Jeff
Roar Rookie
Yeah, the outcry on here last year regarding Australia "having" to tour India for a week in January for three ODI's - the first time in 90 years of cricket between the two countries when Australia had ventured to play in the middle of India's cricket season - was crazy.
Dwanye
Roar Rookie
Hi Jeff, I’ve thought this stuff and written of it on here. Majority of others writing about ‘Boxing Day tradition and such, it can’t be done, our summer’, not interested in the minnows only Eng and Ind. I think for the internal comp it got to be some give and take. If future tours can work itself out.
Rowdy
Roar Rookie
Adam's are used to being first, it happens.
Jeff
Roar Rookie
Masochist! :laughing: :laughing: :laughing:
Dwanye
Roar Rookie
Hi Paul, you always got good thoughts and ideas. CA are the management, we the fans are the plebs. Management/politicians rarely pay attention to the plebs. Lol
Dwanye
Roar Rookie
Hi Jeff. Some nice stuff there. I’m not the brain, just want the organisation building strength, I like the thinking ‘outside the square’. Not sure what’s best, but just that long form needs to be better done.
Paul
Roar Guru
One of the things I like to do from time to to time is write to CA and throw ideas at them. They are totally woeful at responding ( I'm yet to get ANY response from any idea or question I've posed), but maybe, just maybe, someone might read something I write and go "hey, that might be worth exploring". If it does and improves the game, especially our red ball cricket, then happy days! Can I suggest you throw your thoughts their way? As I said, you probably won't get any response but who knows, we might see a mini red ball tournament for all non-BBL players in the coming years. If we do, we'll know where the idea came from. :happy:
Adam
Roar Rookie
Thanks Paul, really appreciate it. I know I don't have an answer but it's great to see so many different opinions on it. I don't mind that suggestion either, and definitely think we could garner some kudos with other boards by offering a touring party in January. For one, that would likely enable us and NZ to play more often which I think would have strong support. Sadly I think you're 100% right on the TV contract side of things. One reason I think there won't be any significant changes to the schedule until 2024 or whenever TV rights are back up for negotiation. Doesn't mean it's not fun to come up with ideas in the meantime, and that there is an obvious need to try and improve the schedule as much as possible.
bungeye
Roar Rookie
Someone needs to do some digging, and explain why the Big Bash headquarters is located in Cockeysville, Maryland, United States!
Jeff
Roar Rookie
Spot on re comp size v population size --- Yeah, I have no issue with us Test touring from January. I mean, all tours are now available to watch on multiple platforms, so its not like fans are missing out on seeing cricket at that time of year if they want to. Many often forget that the cricket season in India/NZ/South Africa/Pakistan/Bangladesh run the same time as our season. Sri Lanka has a bit more flexibility. It's probably historical in that Jan was the ODI period in Australia, but that has largely gone by-the-by - and I don't miss it personally. And in any event it is now the BBL window so ODIs aren't scheduled - and how many Test players make themselves available for BBL anyway? Food for thought for the next Future Tours Program which should be coming out this year.
Paul
Roar Guru
I'm wondering whether we, ie CA has it's priorities wrong when it comes to scheduling? What I'm getting at relates to your comment about having Shield games restarting in January. For years we've expected other countries, like South Africa and New Zealand to give up money making opportunities by forcing them to come to Oz over the Christmas/New Year period. Our trade off is going to them in Feb/March, just as we're doing with Sth Africa. What if we stuck with my thought and had all Tests done & dusted by the end of December. We could then offer to go to these other countries and play Tests in January, which would obviate the need to have a split Shield scenario. I'm also now a fan of squad matches, similar to what Australia used in the last tour of England. These could be created on an as needs basis to cover guys who might not have had a red ball hot for a while. That would allow the Shield to finish in December, but give red practice to guys if we were to tour India or Pakistan before their summer. I too would love to see more Shield teams. Right now, given the state of the economy, that's probably not an option, but it needs to happen soonish. There are plenty of quality players out there and it seems ridiculous we have had the same number of teams since the 1977/78 season, when the Aussie pop'n was 14.19 million to now, when there are about 25.80 million
Jeff
Roar Rookie
Hi Paul, I've felt for a while that there is room to expand the Shield comp - both teams and matches. I am on board with starting the Shield season in northern Australia. Not sure if we want the Shield finishing by November though. We almost always have o/s Test series commencing in Feb/Mar/Apr, so I think we need to have those FC matches at the end of our summer. I know there will be a push back on workload and talent pool with this suggestion, but I'd like to see 1 or 2 more teams introduced into the Shield comp and the number of matches per State expanded. - Australia has six Shield sides. New Zealand - one fifth of Australia's population - has six Shield sides. I don't think the talent pool argument holds water. - I'd like to see an NT side (probably with a selection zone incorporating nth QLD) and an ACT team (probably incorporating an adjoining region in NSW) introduced - the populations of both NSW and QLD can surely provide the talent if a State like Tasmania can source players (acknowledging there is some cross-border movement of players in most States anyway). - With 8 teams, I'd propose 14 games per Shield side (home and away), up from the current 10. - The comp would start in August almost exclusively in NT/Nth QLD as you suggest. So something like 9 rounds by November/December and 5 rounds after January. It provides not only an excellent lead into our summer Tests, but also provides some selection benefit given we play a few Tests in Sept/Oct now and then - particularly when we tour India. Of course, I'd prefer to see Shield rounds during December and January when the Tests are on, but doubt that will happen given focus on the BBL.
Adam
Roar Rookie
Always a mistake on this internet thing, and yet here we are. At least you've got a good one!
Adam
Roar Guru
All good. I unwisely used my name as well....
Adam
Roar Rookie
Haha i'm sorry! I didn't realise there was more than one of us. Please accept my apologies, though I can only blame my parents and my daft decision to use my actual first name.