Big Bash Expansion: Canberra, New Zealand favourites for new franchise, Singapore a shock option

Cricket Australia is being urged to consider exotic ventures as it weighs up expansion for the first time in the BBL’s history. Ben Horne reveals two shock options as he analyses the contenders.

Singapore and Jakarta are being touted as potential expansion locations for the Big Bash as part of an audacious play to engage an untapped Asian market.

Cricket Australia is being urged to consider the exotic ventures as it seriously weighs up the merits of expanding the BBL for the first time in the competition’s history.

Canberra is the firm early favourite to enter the Big Bash as the new ninth franchise should CA make the bold decision to expand, however, there is a push for administrators to think outside the square and look further afield.

Indian Premier League juggernauts like Chennai Super Kings and Mumbai Indians have long held a desire to buy into the Big Bash, and senior cricketing figures believe there is merit in setting up a franchise in a major Asian city like Singapore or Jakarta as a means of bringing the might of the sub-continent into the competition.

Cricket has already identified Indonesia, the world’s fourth most populous country, as a prime opportunity for growing the game given it doesn’t have a major national sport outside of football.

New Zealand is the most obvious overseas location for the Big Bash to consider expanding into, but the voice of New Zealand cricket, Ian Smith is pessimistic about the prospects for success.

Sources at Cricket Australia have confirmed all options would be on the table if a decision is made this year to fully explore expansion.

Here we break down the pros and cons of the Big Bash’s expansion options:

Canberra

There is confidence down in the nation’s capital that should CA elect to greenlight expansion, Canberra is poised to enter the Big Bash League as early as two summers’ time when the Ashes rolls into Australia.

The ACT Government and heavy-hitters like David Pocock and ACT Cricket’s influential Chairman Greg Boorer are behind the proposal, adamant the region deserves more big-time national sport.

Cricket Australia will not expand unless it is convinced adding a ninth team is financially sustainable, and Canberra believes it has those boxes ticked.

Matthew Short smashed an unbeaten 74 to steer the Strikers to victory against the Thunder when they played at Manuka Oval this season. Picture: Getty Images

Critics argue you cannot expand to a regional area that does not feature in the 5 City Metro TV ratings and say it is not possible to make money on the gate for a small 12,000 capacity ground.

Cricket NSW and Cricket Victoria are also dead against the move because they believe a Canberra team would diminish their playing stocks when they are already the only states facilitating two Big Bash teams each.

The alternate view is some healthy competition might light a fire underneath NSW and force the state to be more accountable for developing its rich talent through to the elite level.

Canberra might not sound as exotic as New Zealand, Singapore or Jakarta, but there is something to be said for cost management.

Super Rugby, the A-League and NBL have all struggled with the sustainability of overseas expansion.

It’s cost effective for broadcasters to operate out of Canberra and they like the ground because on TV it looks better to have a small venue packed out, rather than have empty big stadiums.

The conundrum for Cricket Australia is that unless it gives Canberra its own team, the region may be left with no Big Bash matches at all going forward.

The Sydney Thunder may cease playing any home matches in Canberra because the struggling club has realised it has an identity problem and needs to fully commit to harnessing the western Sydney market.

A near-capacity 11,173 crowd turned up at Manuka Oval to watch Alex Hales and the Thunder take on the Strikers. Picture: Getty Images

The fact a near-capacity 11,173 crowd turned up at Manuka Oval for the Thunder v Adelaide Strikers on January 14 when the Thunder was already out of finals’ contention shows there is legitimate support for the Big Bash in Canberra.

In the NRL the Canberra Raiders have more members than most clubs and it’s understood the Raiders and ACT Brumbies are supportive of a Big Bash team in the region as a venture which could be mutually beneficial for winter and summer sports.

New Zealand

There is no doubt that expanding to New Zealand over Canberra has the potential to bring more eyeballs to the Big Bash and also increase player depth.

Sky NZ pitches in about $30 million a year to the NRL’s broadcast rights due to the presence of the Warriors in the Australian competition.

Insiders say a contra agreement for trans-Tasman Big Bash cricket would be less, but it could still mean Sky kicking in $7-10 million a year in a market where TV money is becoming harder to come by.

Australian states are worried about the strain on the playing pool if a ninth team was added to the BBL, but senior cricket officials believe that problem could be alleviated if a New Zealand franchise was welcomed in and New Zealand cricketers were treated as local players and not overseas internationals.

It sounds great in theory, but enormous work would need to be put into making it a reality because there are significant road blocks, not to mention having two separate national boards working in unison.

New Zealand chief executive Scott Weenink told this masthead that the only grounds on which his organisation believe entering the BBL would enhance kiwi cricket is if they were given at least two teams, not one.

Weenink says one team representing the NZ game in the Big Bash would be detrimental to its own domestic competition.

So would CA be prepared to jump from eight teams to 10?

Former NZ wicketkeeper and Fox Cricket commentator Ian Smith is skeptical about what a kiwi presence would do for the Big Bash.

Former New Zealand cricketer and commentator Ian Smith is skeptical about a Kiwi presence in the BBL. Picture: ICC via Getty Images

“From what I’ve seen in the BBL, I don’t think we (NZ) have an individual team that would go over there and win the right number of games to be competitive,” Smith told this masthead.

“I just don’t think we have the pool of players, the depth of players below our top tier that would be able to compete with the franchises you have at the moment.

“From New Zealand’s point of view it would be good, because it would increase our competition and it would give players’ opportunity to get into a fully professional, serious T20 league.

“But from Australia’s perspective, I don’t really see too much of an upside aside from a slightly wider market. I’m not sure it’s going to add a heck of a lot of quality.”

SINGAPORE AND JAKARTA

Western Australia chief executive Christina Matthews confirmed to this masthead that the WACA has been engaged in a program dedicated to trying to grow cricket in Indonesia.

There are over 200,000 cricket participants in Indonesia and cricket bosses see enormous potential, particularly for the women’s game if the massive country right on our doorstep can be properly engaged.

Facilities would be the biggest roadblock to a Jakarta or Singapore team in the short-term, but Cricket Australia administrators are being urged to take a long-term view.

Cricket Australia is resisting privatising the Big Bash League, but this could become increasingly problematic given the wealth of the franchise-leagues the BBL is now competing with.

Western Australia chief executive Christina Matthews confirmed her organisation was already leading programs to develop cricket in Indonesia. Picture: Colin Murty

The England Cricket Board has given consideration to welcoming private investment from IPL franchises into its Hundred competition.

For CA, the question is, could you have privately owned teams in the same competition as traditional outfits run by the Australian states?

Certainly, the NRL and AFL operate successfully with this mix, and technically speaking there would be nothing stopping Cricket Australia from having an IPL franchise located in Asia.

It goes without saying that welcoming in the IPL – who have bought up franchise teams all over the globe and are desperate to get into Australia – would take the BBL into a whole new stratosphere in terms of TV rights and audience exposure.

However, the obvious complication would be maintaining an even playing field when there’s a team being bankrolled by India.

Queensland and Western Australia

North Queensland, Gold Coast and a second team in Perth are also expansion locations that hold significant merit.

However, the one major drawback being Queensland and Western Australia would be against it.

Perth Scorchers have won five BBL titles. Picture: AFP

They’ve seen what a struggle it is for NSW and Victoria – as big as they are – to facilitate two BBL teams in their state and are very comfortable pouring all their resources into just the one team.

WA and Queensland are experts in streamlining their programs and aren’t about to give that up, not to mention the parochial support they receive in Perth and Brisbane.

MERGER WITH ENGLAND?

Triple M producer and podcaster Matt Bellotti raised a fascinating suggestion on social media platform X in response to this masthead’s reporting that Cricket Australia was seriously considering expanding the BBL.

Bellotti urged CA and the ECB to combine forces with a merging of the Big Bash and Hundred that would double the amount of cricket being played by domestic English and Australian players.

“I am once again asking for CA and the ECB to merge their T20 tournaments, creating an annual (played January and July) combined South-North hemisphere event with greater following immediately and potential for growth to compete with the IPL (which neither can do on their own).”

Under the bold proposal, English teams would come to the Big Bash in January, and BBL teams would travel to England in June.

Originally published as Big Bash Expansion: Canberra, New Zealand favourites for new franchise, Singapore a shock option