Push on for Australia’s contracted stars to all sign on for BBL10
Getting the likes of David Warner and Pat Cummins back to the Big Bash for the league’s 10th season won’t be easy. But league officials are going to try to find a way to make it happen.
Big Bash
Don't miss out on the headlines from Big Bash. Followed categories will be added to My News.
In a perfect world every Cricket Australia contracted player would join a Big Bash franchise for the league’s “milestone” 10th season next summer, whether they could play or not.
Finding a way to make that happen will be on the discussion list when officials review this year’s competition, which evolved in to more matches in less days and a revamped finals system.
Watch every single KFC BBL match LIVE & On-Demand on KAYO with FOX CRICKET’s unmatched commentary line-up. New to Kayo? Get your 14-day free trial & start streaming instantly >
Annual adjustments are crucial according to BBL boss Alastair Dobson who conceded finding opportunities to include the best players was a crucial part of planning for every season.
Allan Border medallist Pat Cummins, Test captain Tim Paine, star batsmen David Warner and strike bowler Mitchell Starc were the only CA contracted players without any BBL affiliation this season.
Only Paine isn’t a three-format player for Australia, which affects BBL availability.
A decreased international load this January allowed them a rare opportunity to put their feet up.
Steve Smith, however, despite playing all five Tests, six T20s and three one-day internationals in India has kept going this summer and made a significant impact for title contenders the Sydney Sixers.
The batting star was man-of-the-match in his team’s final regular season game and remains not just a massive drawcard for the finals series but a huge weapon for his side.
Warner, who has not played in the BBL since the 2013-14 season, was in the commentary box last week having flirted with the idea of signing with a team before opting not to.
List management remains a club-by-club issue when it comes to signing Australia’s best players. It’s becoming an increasingly tricky path for CA to navigate as the competition becomes more cutthroat.
Next summer’s BBL schedule will also have to contend with six home ODIs and Dobson said CA, which runs the Big Bash, wouldn’t “force” teams to sign anyone.
But even the marketing positives that would flow from signing Warner or Cummins should be a starting point for a discussion about getting every player aligned with a team.
“There’s a number of factors that come in to whether payers are available, the ability to pay them is one, the international window is one and the list strategy of different clubs is another,” Dobson said.
“They are all relevant factors and working with each club on their list strategy is a really interesting thing to look at. Each club handles list strategy differently.
“We don’t want to be too forceful on how those decisions are made. That said, it’s up to us as those running the competition to make sure every spot is available for players to play, whether that’s scheduling, salary cap, the structure of the list and the rules that sit around it.”
Dobson labelled the 10th anniversary season of the BBL as a “milestone” and said officials would be looking five and 10 years ahead to ensure the league remains entrenched in the summer.
Attracting the best players, both local and overseas, remains crucial to that happening.