‘Way too long’ Big Bash needs a big revamp

CRICKET: So that’s finally it - 59 games over almost dead-on two months.

BBL|08 has come to a close, and surely there won’t be another one like it. One so long and so devoid of stars.

As good as the competition has been, and certainly can be again, it’s overstayed its welcome. Especially when some of the names it should have been attracting don’t even show up to the party.

The BBL is held concurrently with the Bangladesh Premier League. That competition began on January 5 and wrapped up last week with the side Steve Smith was representing before he got injured, the Comilla Victorians, triumphant in a highscoring final.

As well as Smith and David Warner, albeit by virtue of their Australian bans, the competition also featured a host of T20 headliners – Kieron Pollard, Andre Russell, Lasith Malinga, Chris Gayle, AB de Villiers, Alex Hales, Jason Roy, Ryan ten Doeschate, Carlos Brathwaite, Luke Wright, Sunil Narine, Shahid Afridi, and Shoaib Malik. Most have been regulars in the BBL before this season.

‘Mystery spinners’ in the mould of Adelaide Strikers revelation Rashid Khan have been high on BBL franchise shopping lists for the impact they provide on the field. And rightfully so.

Brisbane Heat’s Mujeeb Ur Rahman, from Afghanistan, was the most economical bowler this season, while Nepal leggie Sandeep Lamichhane has been a true star for the Melbourne Stars. But, with all due respect to other internationals such as Harry Gurney and Liam Plunkett, they are not going to bring the fans through the turnstiles.

Neither too are the Aussie club cricketers who are making up numbers. Great for their exposure but not for the comp.

Fox Cricket commentator Brendon Julian was blunt when asked for his thoughts on the length of the competition and impact that has on the standard. “Way too long,” he said.

“59 games I think is ridiculous. But, at the end of the day, that’s not going to change. Contracts have been done.

“There’s just got to be more double headers next year, and it’s got to finish before (the end of) school holidays. It’s too long. It’s putting pressure on international players, international coaches

“They are looking at other options. They don’t want to come out here for eight weeks

“They are not coming out for $120,000 Australian when they can get $150,000 US playing for three weeks.

“Shorten the comp, shorten the widow and lift the salary cap.”

BBL bosses admitted on the weekend they were open to change, including the possibility of a four-game finals series, in which the top two teams get a double chance.

“Our DNA is being innovative,” Kim McConnie, CA’s head of the BBL said.

“We’ve got no qualms saying ‘that worked really well, let’s double down’ and ‘that didn’t work, let’s do something different’. “