Big BBL change to avoid exodus

The next season of the Big Bash is set to be condensed in to a one-month window and start as late as December 16 in a bid to avoid the star player exodus which will hit three of four teams in this week’s finals.

A reduction to 10 games per team this season, plus four finals, has reduced the playing window to 48 days but hasn’t been enough to stop the exits of internationals from the ladder-leading Brisbane Heat, Sydney Sixers and Perth Scorchers who will turn to local talent for the finals which begin on Friday.

Next summer’s five-Test series against India, rather than the six played this summer, will help Big Bash scheduling with a start date nearly two weeks later than this year’s December 7 on the agenda.

The plan is to then try and wrap the competition within a month, before rival T20 leagues in the United Arab Emirates and South Africa begin.

Reigning champions the Perth Scorchers will lose star Englishman Laurie Evans, who smashed 72 off just 34 balls in Tuesday’s loss to the Sixers, with fellow England star Zac Crawley having already departed.

Evans said the nature of this season’s tournaments, with some teams having as much as seven days between games, could be addressed to squeeze the fixture, declaring he didn’t want to leave but he “had a family to feed” as he moves on.

“It’s absolutely the worst time to be leaving but I’ve got a job to do … it’s just the nature of the beast,” he said.

“I certainly feel that the BBL could squeeze some more games in. We’ve had a lot of downtime. I think you’ll get the best players coming back over and without any clashes and get the finals done.”

Scorchers coach Adam Voges conceded that it was a battle all the teams in the finals would face.