Coronavirus epidemic paves way for revamped Big Bash League

Like many sports, cricket in Australia faces a grim financial loss due to the COVID-19 but one silver lining could emerge from the pandemic.

Big crowd do the Mexican wave during the BBL match between the Sydney Sixers and Sydney Thunder at the SCG.

A renewed focus on domestic cricket and the Big Bash League could prove a rewarding silver lining for Cricket Australia as the coronavirus epidemic wreaks havoc.

CA is currently in financial strife, facing the prospect of a mind-boggling $300 million loss in broadcast revenue if next summer’s Test series against India does not go ahead.

Due to restricted cash flow, most of CA’s staff were stood down last month on 20 per cent pay. Chief executive Kevin Roberts revealed CA had already suffered a $20 million hit since the coronavirus outbreak, despite the recent summer of cricket hardly being impacted by the pandemic.

In October, Australia is scheduled to host 16 national squads for the Men’s T20 Cricket World Cup. Although Australia has successfully flattened the curve to date, it remains highly unlikely any international cricket teams will be allowed to travel Down Under in 2020.

However, a reshuffle of next summer’s calendar could ensure the 2020/21 summer of cricket is not only entertaining for fans, but beneficial for the sport.

Although it seems inevitable CA will suffer a financial loss due to the coronavirus epidemic, it would be in organisation’s best interest to take advantage of the vacant summer and revive the Big Bash League, rejuvenating domestic cricket in Australia.

The Sydney Sixers won their second BBL title last summer.

BBL crowds have steadily dropped over the past couple of years, primarily because the competition was extended to two months in 2018. High-profile international talent was unable to commit to an eight-week tournament, so Big Bash squads were bumped up with English pinch-hitters and grade players.

If CA successfully manoeuvres next summer’s calendar, Australia’s international stars could participate in a more substantial portion of the Big Bash, renewing the public’s interest in the competition.

While the Sheffield Shield and one-day domestic tournaments aren’t reliable revenue-generators, the BBL could potentially recreate the mammoth crowds that were achieved four years ago – dependant on social distancing restrictions, of course.

Looking ahead, if international travel is restricted for cricket teams, it could pave the way for domestic competitions around the world to receive more coverage as states, counties and regions will potentially have their international players available more.#Cricket

— Jason Gillespie 🌱 (@dizzy259) April 26, 2020

@CricketAus have a golden opportunity to improve the @BBL product and open up the league for our test players and one day players to play the full competition @7Cricket

— Brad Hodge (@bradhodge007) April 23, 2020

CA also intends to completely rebrand the competition and improve the experience for spectators. The Australian reported BBL matches may be reformatted next summer to feature four innings.

“We need to be creative and innovative in all areas of the BBL and focus more on the entertainment proposition than perhaps has been the case in the past couple of years,” Head of Big Bash Leagues Alistair Dobson told SEN on Wednesday.

“The entertainment proposition on and off the field is something we need to spend time and effort innovating around … we need to bring the entertainment side of things more to the fore.”

Allan Border Medal recipient David Warner, arguably the best T20 cricketer in the country, has not played a BBL match for over six years, but could potentially make his highly-anticipated return in 2021.

“The possibility of having (the BBL) revamped would be outstanding for the fans especially, and obviously for the guys that haven’t had the opportunity to play as much due to the fact we’ve had a lot of international cricket,” Warner told 7 News on Tuesday.

David Warner has not played a Big Bash League match since 2013.

According to superstar all-rounder Ellyse Perry, women’s cricket could also emerge from the coronavirus pandemic better off if the sport tries to extend its reach and find new revenue streams.

Although March’s T20 World Cup final at the MCG was an iconic moment in the history of women’s cricket, there have been fears momentum has stalled. But Perry argued women’s codes have to remain relevant when the games resume.

“Sport in general is resilient, and I can’t actually see it having a long-lasting negative effect,” Perry told AAP.

“It’s certainly made organisations rethink how they run their sports and their codes and potentially strip it back to what is really important.

“It’s become so apparent that if you want all your population engaging in your code, you need to engage all the population … and part of that is having women’s involvement.

“It’s still very much an area for growth and that might be even more apparent after coronavirus because codes are going to have to keep finding new revenue streams.”

Ellyse Perry has signed on with the Sydney Sixers for two more years.

Perry also suggested Australian women’s cricket can again lead the way. She is holding hope New Zealand can tour at the start of the summer as planned, with travel exemptions for athletes between the two countries likely to be applied for some sports.

The 29-year-old is also adamant the Women’s Big Bash League should remain at the start of the summer in a stand-alone window, and not be pushed back as a cost-saving measure. Keeping the early start could give it rare clean air, with the AFL and NRL likely to finish their seasons in October.

“It might be the case that either the Aussie women’s team or WBBL might be the first cricket to start up again. I think there is a lot of scope in that,” Perry said.

“I was probably a little fearful for this WBBL because of the men’s T20 World Cup. I think it probably would have got swallowed in that.

“If the men’s World Cup doesn’t go ahead, then it’s a really good chance for us to have a stand-alone window.”

With AAP

Originally published as Coronavirus epidemic paves way for revamped Big Bash League