Why England’s injury crisis serves as warning to Cricket Australia amid push for BBL privatisation
While scheduling looms large as the single biggest hurdle for Cricket Australia to overcome if, as expected, it sells off minority stakes in its Big Bash clubs, England’s current injury dramas have highlighted a possible issue with such a privatisation push.
Warning bells are ringing in Australia’s push for Big Bash privatisation, after a similar move in England was blamed for wiping out their Test captain and most of their bowlers.
Ben Stokes was ruled out of the fifth and deciding Test against India, ultimately succumbing to a brutal schedule of five Tests crammed into 44 days which has been forced by England’s determination to keep August clear for its now heavily privatised Hundred franchise league.
Scheduling also looms large as the single biggest hurdle for Cricket Australia to overcome if, as expected, it chooses to follow England’s lead and sell off minority stakes in its Big Bash clubs, with Test cricket and the BBL both needing to be shoehorned into December and January.
In a major breakthrough in the perennial conundrum of club versus country which has plagued the Big Bash since its inception, it’s understood Cricket Australia is confident it will be able to carve out a dedicated January window for the BBL for the first time.
This effectively means that after this current scheduling cycle finishes, the national men’s team will no longer be scheduled to play any international cricket after the completion of the Sydney New Year’s Test through to the proposed date for future BBL grand finals in early-mid February.
A new-look BBL would start around Christmas.
In theory this would ensure all Australian Test and white ball stars should be available for the vast majority of the BBL – a monumental game-changer for the competition – but the breakdown of Stokes before a ball is even bowled in the Hundred serves as a warning to Cricket Australia about the risks of prioritising a T20 league over the national team.
Cricket Australia powerbrokers are adamant that the ambitions of the Test team will not be compromised even though gaining access to the stars of the Australian team is what the entire privatisation push is built around.
“That is a critical thing. That is in the report,” CA Chairman Mike Baird said about a commission report declaring that Test players should be available to play in the BBL.
“It’s not surprising. When talking to our fans, you know, that’s what they want to see. You saw even the energy last year when Steve Smith came back for a couple of days and then it kind of lit up fans, stadiums, social media, obviously with his performance.
“Ultimately for us, if we can get the best players out there and not just our players, but sort of internationally (overseas stars), that’s going to do great things for the competition and great things for fans. That’s undoubtedly a priority.”
In South Africa, private ownership has taken over to the point where its stars are compelled to choose their franchises over the national team.
England has also made the decision to push Test cricket out of the traditional prime of the summer in August and make that a Hundred window only.
Cricket Australia is adamant it will not enter into any privatisation model which jeopardises Test cricket and traditions like the Boxing Day and New Year’s Tests.
“No, obviously, any model that you chose should you go that way (to privatisation), you wouldn’t do that,” Baird said.
“For us, Test cricket is primary. It is an essential part of our summer. It stands above all else in terms of what it brings to the game … so that retains. Anything that we would do would be balanced on the basis of keeping Test cricket, keeping control of the game, the schedule, and giving players opportunities that they currently don’t have.
“There’s a very easy way to respond to it, and that is, we control it, and if we’re interested in going down that (privatisation) route, will it be done on terms and conditions that are great for fans, players, states, and CA.”
Cricket Australia chief executive Todd Greenberg reiterated that despite the determination to get Test stars in the Big Bash, a privatised league would never force players to play or put their club over country.
“You’ll never hear Mike and I looking to compel players to do anything. What we have to do is find opportunities so they want to be part of something,” Greenberg said.
“And so, of course, there has to be rest and recuperation, particularly for the bowlers after a long period of time.
“But that’s on us to try to find those scheduling opportunities, give them rest, give them reward, and then give them opportunity to play.
“The conversations we have with the players, they want to lean in, they want to play (Big Bash).
“So we’ve got to work really smart on scheduling and finding strong remuneration, so they do want to play, so they do lean in.
“But we’re not in the business of compelling our players to do anything. We want to make it a viable opportunity, so they want to be part of it.”
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