BBL, Test double bill recharges cricket

THE Big Bash League looks set to launch the same night as day one of the Indian Test series as part of a plan to turbocharge the cricket summer.

Cricket has been accused in the past of being too slowfused at the start of the season, but administrators are preparing to lock in a kitchen sink approach to emerge from the COVID-19 wilderness with a bang.

The Big Bash is set to start two weeks earlier this summer on December 3, with the regular season to finish before the end of the January school holidays, before a blockbuster finals’ series in early February where matches would be played in fan-friendly slots between Thursday and Sunday nights.

Cricket Australia is expected to announce the schedule in the coming fortnight.

It will be a longer season this year, but the extra breathing room will help ease congestion in the schedule, meaning more prime-time matches for broadcasters and less afternoon games, which last year felt like they were just being packed in.

It’s understood plans for a world-first Christmas Day BBL game have again been shelved, with the holiday once again being left free of any cricket.

CA has also left the fiveteam finals series unchanged, with an elimination final to start and a second bite of the cherry on offer for the No.1 ranked side.

Last year the BBL didn’t kick off until December 17, a week before Christmas, but organisers will this year start the competition in unison with the blockbuster Test series against Virat Kohli’s Indian team.

It means viewers can switch from day one’s action at the Gabba, to opening night of the BBL flowing on directly after.

The only downside being that Australia’s international stars will only have a limited window to play in the BBL this summer.