BBL Big Bash League Expansion Thread

[Tygrys]

Gold Coast, Canberra and Newcastle are the options. Assuming they can get their facilities up to scratch. All have a sufficient population base to support a team and are sufficiently far enough away from a capital city not cannibalise support.

As for New Zealand it would be nice to have a team or two from there but there are real problems. CA would need to be convinced that they'd support local BBL to a comparable extent as in Australia. The lack of support for their super smash series was frankly embarrassing. Yes there were contributing factors for this but nevertheless CA would proceed very very cautiously. Also their time zone is not helpful for tv broadcasts. Plus finally where to base the franchises? Auckland and Wellington perhaps but leave the South Island out in the cold? Or one roving franchises for the whole country that plays at multiple venues north and south? I personally I think it's just in the too hard basket

 

[The_Reaper]

Hales, +Keiswetter, Carberry, Shah, retired Flintoff, Styris, Durnbach, Tremlett, Mahmood. Any other county spuds that I have forgotten to make up an xi. They are the only players that are really available. The West Indians are already all here, sa & nz domestic comps run concurrently. Any semi decent Indian domestic cricketer will get an ipl deal and wouldn't get out of bed to come and play for tens of thousands. No one will touch a Pakistani domestic cricketer with a barge pole. Maybe the bbl could better utilise Sri Lankans and some associate players but doubt you'd get more than a handful of players. If you extend the teams you will just end up with your cowans, doolans, hills playing every match.

There is a lot more big bash level talent in England than you think.

There is probably enough talent for at least one more team + 3 foreigners if we look at Australians who weren't picked up in BBL teams and fringe players plus the inevitable poaching of first XI players from other clubs.

Someone like Behrendorff would be pretty tempted to play for a Canberra side

 

[Colonial]

Some people really have no idea about growth.

Of course to start there will be not be the a grade talent, but after a few years the talent will rise.

With respect of course.

 

[The_Reaper]

Some people really have no idea about growth.

Of course to start there will be not be the a grade talent, but after a few years the talent will rise.

With respect of course.

Why?

 

[Colonial]

Why?

It is already one of the most played junior sports.

The ACB wont say publically for fear of the traditionalists backlash but they see this as their bread and butter comp for the future to go up against the footy codes.
They will start with having a longer competition.
Then when it gets to boring playing the same team 3 to 4 times a year they will bring in new teams. Not rush jobs like the A-League but fully prepared and planned teams.

They need teams in every major region and having teams pack out regional centres like Geelong, Newcastle, Gold Coast, Canberra etc will grow the sport as well as keep it in the public eye. Look at popular the Tassie team is.
Playing tests against West Indies, unfortunetly, doesnt do anything for the game anymore.
I can see a future where there wont be as many tests in a year and the main game with be the big bash.

As a traditionalist that hurts to say but it will happen.

 

[greatwhiteshark]

It is already one of the most played junior sports.

The ACB wont say publically for fear of the traditionalists backlash but they see this as their bread and butter comp for the future to go up against the footy codes.
They will start with having a longer competition.
Then when it gets to boring playing the same team 3 to 4 times a year they will bring in new teams. Not rush jobs like the A-League but fully prepared and planned teams.

They need teams in every major region and having teams pack out regional centres like Geelong, Newcastle, Gold Coast, Canberra etc will grow the sport as well as keep it in the public eye. Look at popular the Tassie team is.
Playing tests against West Indies, unfortunetly, doesnt do anything for the game anymore.
I can see a future where there wont be as many tests in a year and the main game with be the big bash.

As a traditionalist that hurts to say but it will happen.

I think you are probably right, it will get bigger and bigger.

Be interesting how we judge and rate cricketers in 20-30 years, will we be saying he is a better player because he hits bigger sixes?
The players in time may not care where they will be rated or judged in the history books as they will just chase the coin. Currently any cricketer knows performing well in the IPL or the Big Bash means little on their cricket resume and you have to perform in test cricket to be rated at all. How long before they don't care anymore? Once that happens test cricket will die and being able to judge a cricketers ability will be an unknown.

 

[Marklar_33]

As for New Zealand it would be nice to have a team or two from there but there are real problems. CA would need to be convinced that they'd support local BBL to a comparable extent as in Australia. The lack of support for their super smash series was frankly embarrassing. Yes there were contributing factors for this but nevertheless CA would proceed very very cautiously. Also their time zone is not helpful for tv broadcasts. Plus finally where to base the franchises? Auckland and Wellington perhaps but leave the South Island out in the cold? Or one roving franchises for the whole country that plays at multiple venues north and south? I personally I think it's just in the too hard basket

Say an Auckland and a Wellington with 1-2 matches in Christchurch? There's no big stadiums on the South Island now with Lancaster Park gone, and with 1million people South compared with 3.5million North, it mightn't be financial enough for CA

 

[The_Wookie]

Steady up, Wookie will be after you!

sure i will be.

 

[Colonial]

I think you are probably right, it will get bigger and bigger.

Be interesting how we judge and rate cricketers in 20-30 years, will we be saying he is a better player because he hits bigger sixes?
The players in time may not care where they will be rated or judged in the history books as they will just chase the coin. Currently any cricketer knows performing well in the IPL or the Big Bash means little on their cricket resume and you have to perform in test cricket to be rated at all. How long before they don't care anymore? Once that happens test cricket will die and being able to judge a cricketers ability will be an unknown.

Look i do think t20 gets a bad rep for being hit and giggle but there is allot of skill still involved as well as field placement etc

 

[greatwhiteshark]

Look i do think t20 gets a bad rep for being hit and giggle but there is allot of skill still involved as well as field placement etc

Of course there is skill and talent involved still but they get to perform on dead set batting paradises which is what the game is for. It is purely a batting game.
Don't get me wrong I love it and watch it almost every night but I accept it for what it is. It is not test cricket but I still enjoy it.

 

[Father Jack]

I like the idea of extending the amount of games played amongst the existing teams, and having them play in other centres (such as the Strikers on the GC, the Thunder in Canberra, and Hobart in Launceston (which will be funny because I also reckon they'd get bigger crowds)), but I also like the idea of having a couple of NZ teams in the BBL, and it's not like that's not culturally inconceivable considering other leagues.

Maybe we should go all out and set up like Super Rugby with the South Africans

 

[Carbine Chaos]

And what do people suggest the Kiwis do about their own T20 competition?

Suggesting we lump a few Kiwi teams in our competition is quite arrogant.

 

[Father Jack]

Well the BBL would be a combined Aus/NZ competition, so it would be their T20 competition too

 

[Carbine Chaos]

So all 6 teams join our competition?

 

[Father Jack]

Probably not

 

[nobbyiscool]

And what do people suggest the Kiwis do about their own T20 competition?

Suggesting we lump a few Kiwi teams in our competition is quite arrogant.

Bit much to call it "arrogant" when former NZ captain and one of their greatest players has suggested the same thing:

"The Big Bash League should be expanded to become a trans-Tasman competition, Stephen Fleming says."

Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/sport/cricket...eming-says-20151204-glfjs7.html#ixzz3wtKcQncY

 

[JackOutback]

If CA can learn to share properly, then combing Australia and NZ's competitions into one bigger regional competition is not a terrible idea. It would certainly make the competition more attractive to NZ crowds. Obviously all six teams couldn't join, but trimming it to two or three might work. Still not worth doing for a few more years yet.

 

[madmug]

Bit much to call it "arrogant" when former NZ captain and one of their greatest players has suggested the same thing:

"The Big Bash League should be expanded to become a trans-Tasman competition, Stephen Fleming says."

Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/sport/cricket...eming-says-20151204-glfjs7.html#ixzz3wtKcQncY

I guess the difference with BBL & the footy codes with their game attendances, is that T20 is a part of game which has other components, international Tests, ODI, & T20 plus domestic 1st class cricket, ODD & then the BBL is part of that mix.

Cricket has a hold of the tigers tail at the moment & needs to be careful how they handle it.

Ive been looking at the English T20 which is based along county club lines. It is struggling. Maybe they need to set up a city based system different from the old county structure. I think Cricket Oz has shown wisdom in developing the BBL 'club' system. That despite the old stick in the mud thinking of many cricket supporters. Attracting the non traditional cricket sports enthusiast so far seems to be working a treat.

I like the idea of more games in different cities/regions before they look at expansion of teams. I agree that's the way to go at this early stage.

 

[The_Reaper]

I guess the difference with BBL & the footy codes with their game attendances, is that T20 is a part of game which has other components, international Tests, ODI, & T20 plus domestic 1st class cricket, ODD & then the BBL is part of that mix.

Cricket has a hold of the tigers tail at the moment & needs to be careful how they handle it.

Ive been looking at the English T20 which is based along county club lines. It is struggling. Maybe they need to set up a city based system different from the old county structure. I think Cricket Oz has shown wisdom in developing the BBL 'club' system. That despite the old stick in the mud thinking of many cricket supporters. Attracting the non traditional cricket sports enthusiast so far seems to be working a treat.

I like the idea of more games in different cities/regions before they look at expansion of teams. I agree that's the way to go at this early stage.

FTA has played a massive role for Australia T20.

England will be fine if they did the same

 

[Colonial]

FTA has played a massive role for Australia T20.

England will be fine if they did the same

BBL was smashing the A-League and growing faster when both were foxtel exclusives.
FTA, while a massive bonus, isnt the be all and end all.

 

[Fizzler]

Priorities would go towards NSW, I'm afraid. I think they should go towards Gold Coast, since there is only 1 team in QLD.

 

[The_Reaper]

BBL was smashing the A-League and growing faster when both were foxtel exclusives.
FTA, while a massive bonus, isnt the be all and end all.

Cricket is the closest thing we have to a national sport.

 

[Father Jack]

what do you mean 'closest'? It is genuinely our national sport

 

[Tyberious Funk]

I've suggested in previous threads, but not sure if it's been raised here. If the BBL is to expand, I'd like to see them host 1-2 international teams. This allows the competition to expand, without diluting the talent pool. And avoids the issue of international players being conflicted between playing the BBL vs playing for their country.... since in essence, they'd be playing for their country (and, presumably endorsed by their boards). Of course, these teams would have to be 2nd XI's or development squads.

For example, imagine the BCCI sends a development squad to play in the BBL. They get their players some experience in Australian conditions. And assuming their first eleven is touring somewhere else, it guarantees that if they have an injury to a first eleven player, they can pull someone out of their BBL squad who is actively in form. And an Indian team, even a second XI, would get huge crowds in Australia and jack up the value of the TV rights. England have done this previously with the Lions (their second XI) who have played in the Busta Cup and the Duleep Trophy.

 

[JackOutback]

Not a fan of bringing in development or international squads into an otherwise professional domestic competition (I wasn't a fan of the CA XI in the ODI Cup either). I could accept making it a Trans-Tasman competition, given our close relationship with NZ, but I wouldn't be taking any other nation's teams.