Cricket: More foreign stars for the Big Bash League

BBL explores heading off broadcasters ‘grade cricket’ jibe by importing more international players.

AB de Villiers made a brief appearance for the Heat in last season’s BBL. Picture: Getty Images

Cricket Australia is hoping to import more international talent for this year’s Big Bash League to cover an absence of local stars and appease unhappy broadcasters.

Franchises are able to field two international players under existing rules. The administration wants to raise that to three to cover player shortfalls caused by clashes with international cricket in December.

Moves to create hubs of white and red-ball players at the start of the summer would mean the Big Bash squads would not only be denied Australia’s best international players but also the best of the state level cricketers.

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Teams have been forced to create large squads because of quarantine regulations. The Australian team took 21 players to the UK for three ODI and T20 games this week.

England had players in a red and white-ball quarantine recently.

Even before COVID-19, broadcasters had been concerned about the quality of BBL rosters. When the season was expanded two years ago, the tournament became a less enticing prospect to overseas players who faced being away from home for longer with no significant increase in pay.

The proposal to increase international participation, which has been rejected by the players association in the past, has been put to states and the Australian Cricketers Association recently.

Quarantine regulations could prove a problem. Last season the Heat attracted AB de Villiers for the second half of the competition, the star happy to fly in and fly out but not stay for the entire length of the tournament, which is even longer this year.

News of the idea comes in the same week Seven West Media boss James Warburton launched a stinging attack on Cricket Australia’s planning for the summer.

“You have got the Australian T20 and one-day captain saying one thing, you have got the coach saying another, you have got BBL franchises talking about no international players – or (having more) grade cricketers,” Warburton said.

“We could send the cameras down for free to telecast grade cricket.”

Cricket Australia interim chief executive Nick Hockley said on Thursday he had not spoken to Warburton since the Seven boss delivered his extraordinary attack on the game’s scheduling plans two days earlier.

Hockley reiterated that Cricket Australia is “committed to delivering our side of the bargain”, which they believe is simply providing a full schedule of matches.

According to Hockley, CA’s agreement with broadcasters was “clear”, further indication that head office has no interest in entertaining the prospect of offering their cash-strapped broadcasters a TV rights rebate, even in the face of a potential legal battle.

Both Seven and Fox Sports are adamant that a full schedule does not equate to full value, and both will pursue discounts on their deal for the pandemic-hit summer, where top-line BBL talent, crowds and venues look set to be compromised.

Hockley has only just stepped into the hot seat vacated by Kevin Roberts and has worked hard to rebuild relationships, but Seven’s rapport with CA is clearly at breaking point.

The interim CA chief said dialogue with Seven had been regular, but admitted he had not contacted Warburton since he publicly berated cricket’s handling of the COVID crisis compared to the AFL.

“Not since that. But we are in very regular contact. We are having lots of discussions about how Seven are going to bring to life cricket this summer,” Hockley said.

“We’ll continue to work through those. The discussion is very regular and there is lots of good dialogue.

“They’re a great partner. I’ve really enjoyed working with James and we’ve got so much to look forward to.

“We’re kicking off in less than a month with the WBBL, the BBL and we’ll be doing everything we can to get the full summer away.”

Hockley said Cricket Australia was extremely sure of its position in regards to what they must provide to broadcasters.

“We’re absolutely committed to delivering our side of the bargain, which is a fantastic summer of cricket and (we will) work with all our partners to deliver the best possible summer, the best possible experience, the best possible entertainment for all our fans and the public,” said Hockley.

“So, that’s what we’re focused on and I think we’ve got a very clear agreement. That is fulfilling our part of the bargain and that’s entirely what we’re focused on.”

Hockley confirmed that the final pieces of the summer schedule are falling into place and insists broadcasters are being kept across “the latest information”.

“As soon as we have some more certainty around quarantine arrangements we’ll be making some announcements on what the particular dates of the summer are moving forward,” Hockley said.