Christian in call to clear schedule for Big Bash

ONE of the Big Bash’s most decorated campaigners says administrators must aspire to have Australia’s international superstars playing more of the tournament.

Dan Christian has signed with the Sydney Sixers for this season, and not only is it his fourth BBL club, but the 37year-old knows the landscape of Twenty20 cricket better than most as a veteran of the pre-eminent IPL.

For all the big-name stars, such as Pat Cummins and David Warner, who descend on the IPL each year, the competition’s lifeblood is the fact that all Indian players are available for every game.

When the BBL was formed nine years ago one of its ambitions was to find a window for its national players, and now the heat is being turned up by broadcasters Channel 7 and Fox Sports to find a solution to the riddle that could cost the game millions.

Inevitable international scheduling clashes has made it an impossible dream, but an independent report commissioned by CA into the BBL this year made the key recommendation that the Bash be given its own free air every summer after the New Year’s Test in Sydney, which would allow Australia’s biggest names to play the majority of the season.

Christian says it is the final frontier for the BBL.

“In terms of the standard of the BBL, the only thing it lacks I think is having the Australian players available all the time,” he told News Corp.

“I know that’s going to be a difficult thing with the window and the time of year, because it’s a fantastic time of year to play [international cricket and BBL].”

There is confidence that CA and Fox can work towards a mutual compromise, although greater doubt hangs over whether the game will be able to strike a new deal with Seven.