BBL 2020-21: Usman Khawaja still not a fan of the new rules
Sydney Thunder batsman Usman Khawaja has once again hit out at the three rule changes for the new season of the Big Bash League (BBL). He said that he was unconvinced by the controversial rules being brought into the tournament.
The 33-year-old has been vocal about his criticism of the rules, and expressed his thoughts once again during the BBL 10 launch on Thursday.
Power Surge, X-Factor, Bash Boost are the three new rules that have been brought in to the latest edition of the BBL. And Usman Khawaja believes that three significant changes at the same time are too many.
"One rule change coming into this BBL would've been perfect. Three is a lot. We've tried super-subs before, it hasn't really worked. The batting power play will be interesting. We have tried something similar in one-day cricket a few years ago, you had to take a batting power play before the 40th over.
“There’s not really anything that hasn’t been tested in 50-over cricket, but it’s new for Big Bash. I’m not really sure how it’s going to play out, how the tactics will evolve. No one really knows how to tackle it at the moment.
“I’ve got a feeling it will be a lot different from the start of the tournament to the end of the tournament. You will see an evolution. You are always looking for that extra edge,” Usman Khawaja said.
What exactly are the new BBL rules?
The new BBL rules have led to a lot of debate, with several current and former Australia players criticising them. The organisers of the BBL are hopeful that the new innovations will make the tournament even more interesting and competitive. But what exactly do the rules mean?
Check the full Big bash fixtures for 2020-21.
The Power Surge allows the batting team to have two powerplay overs at any time after the 11th over. There will only be four overs of the powerplay at the start of the innings in the BBL.
The X-Factor rule allows teams to make a substitution midway through the first innings. While the Bash Boost will award a point to the team that has the higher score after 10 overs in the second innings.