BBL should consider less games, revamp fixtures
This week's triple-header is a much-needed boost for the struggling Big Bash League.
All eyes will be on up to seven Test players who make their return to the BBL. For the sides looking to lock their place in the finals series, the stakes will be high.
At its peak, the BBL's average attendance per match averaged 30,000 between 2015-2017, propelling it to among the highest-attended sports leagues in the world.
But now interest in the BBL has plummeted down, with several talking points on how the league lost its way.
Too many games
The Big Bash currently has 61 fixtures over a two-month period. Games are played nearly every night across the country, with rare allowances for a 'night off', which are granted when international games are on or if Christmas gets in the way.
Current Melbourne Stars and Australian bowler Adam Zampa summarized the view of several players by stating that the league drags on.
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In 2016-17 there were 35 games, before jumping to 43 in 2017-18, 59 in 2018-19 and 61 games in the 2019-20 season.
Reports dating back to 2019 indicated broadcasters warned the non-stop and extended nature of the competition could make it go 'stale'.
Former Australian captain Ricky Ponting forecasted the overload. He said that 14 games per side in a condensed time period would weaken the intensity of the competition.
“I just think 14 games is just a little bit much. It just makes for a very long tournament and probably goes for a touch too long," he said when the change to 61 games was made in 2019.
As the amount of games increases, the value of each match is reduced, and 14 games per side does not seem to strike the right balance.
Room for 'footified' BBL fixture
Radical changes to the Big Bash fixture could be on the cards to revitalize the narrative of the competition.
In the BBL's infancy, each team played the other once, with one extra "double-up" fixture left for marquee games such as the Sydney and Melbourne derbies.
Brisbane Heat batter Joe Burns took to Twitter to suggest reverting to the eight-game model with some adjustments, including weekly rounds.
Next years MBBL should be 8 rds played on a Fri/Sat/Sun with 1 rd each weekend. T20 WC in October will create a lot of content before BB so lets make each game an event with big build ups/story lines/crowds similar to the winter codes. Would also allow some mid week shield games.
This will not be different from what works for football in winter, increasing the build-up and anticipation leading into each weekend. It would also mark a clear distinction between two rounds.
The major hurdle for 'footifying' the fixture is discerning which part of the calendar should play host to the revamped league.
Burns said it would allow for Sheffield Shield games during the week. It would finally address the old issue of scheduling the Shield by virtue of plugging holes in the calendar.
Weekend fixtures (ie non-school/work days) could also see a detachment from an obsession to have the competition occupy every night of the school holidays. Many games end past 10pm which is hardly kid-friendly anyway.
The one round per week model would also give CA the opportunity to play the BBL as a standalone competition. It will allow BBL to leverage their own international summer and allow international players to be available for the Big Bash. It opens up more flexibility with when to schedule the eight-week block.
While it would result in fewer games, key stakeholders, including broadcasters, may welcome the reduction. It will reduce production costs and increase the value of the remaining games.