Is the BBL in trouble?

[Bad Horse]

I read the article here

http://www.espncricinfo.com/story/_/id/26736122/ab-de-villiers-saga-exposes-whiff-bbl-panic

About the AB De Villiers fiasco, but a lot of the underlying matters it talks about rang true.

Quality in the BBL has dipped badly, the expansion in number of matches has not helped on a variety of metrics, but worst seems to be the way its timing is counting against it with overseas players either unavailable due to home commitments or unwilling to come during the Christmas/New Year period. The downsides for the first class and test program have also been well discussed.

The level of dislocation and unbalancing inherent in the proposed arrangements to bring AB DeV looks like a competition prepared to go to almost any lengths, even if they compromise the competition, to seize a liferaft.

So the question is, is the BBL in trouble? Could it go the way of the NBL?

 

[Oaktree]

The BBL has become a product of its own arrogance.

I guess in line with the previous management, the league bought into its own hype.

I think the league may have suffered by the ways it treated previous internationals such as Gayle and Sangakkara.

There may be a level of antipathy towards the BBL shared by internationals who have previously competed in the league.

Owais Shah got treated poorly by the Hurricanes IIRC and the Scorchers felt no need for an international a few seasons ago and hardly played Carberry.

The commentators haven't helped in the past with their ego-filled musings.

The fact there are no Indians in the comp always make it hard but the other T20 leagues have managed to thrive regardless.

The fact the comp goes from Dec to Feb and pays a fraction of the IPL hardly makes it an exciting prospect for players.

 

[Belnakor]

The fact the comp goes from Dec to Feb and pays a fraction of the IPL hardly makes it an exciting prospect for players.

its all about the money. If the money was good you'd have international players coming.

the main issue seems to be the BBL has too much overhead with alot of executives etc who are weighing the league down. There is plenty of money available you would have thought. AB played in the Bangas league before BBL which tells you something is amiss.

 

[Hamingja]

The BBL has become a product of its own arrogance.

I guess in line with the previous management, the league bought into its own hype.

I think the league may have suffered by the ways it treated previous internationals such as Gayle and Sangakkara.

There may be a level of antipathy towards the BBL shared by internationals who have previously competed in the league.

Owais Shah got treated poorly by the Hurricanes IIRC and the Scorchers felt no need for an international a few seasons ago and hardly played Carberry.

The commentators haven't helped in the past with their ego-filled musings.

The fact there are no Indians in the comp always make it hard but the other T20 leagues have managed to thrive regardless.

The fact the comp goes from Dec to Feb and pays a fraction of the IPL hardly makes it an exciting prospect for players.

How did Sangakkara and Shah get treated poorly? They played out their contracts and played a lot more games than they deserved based on form.

 

[Oaktree]

How did Sangakkara and Shah get treated poorly? They played out their contracts and played a lot more games than they deserved based on form.

In Sangakkara's second season he spent more than half the season on the bench. He misfired a few times and the Canes were done with him. The Canes weren't a top of the table side and they could have easily fit him in their side.

Shah played a few seasons and had a poor final season. I remember the commentators were savage on him and the Canes sent him packing before the end of the season.

Point being that particularly in Sanga's case, some players may feel aggrieved by the treatment of their franchise and this may filter across internationally.

Players may not see the BBL as a must play destination.

 

[big_e]

You can get paid as much, if not more, to play in Bangladesh at the same time. And you'd get no critical media coverage, nowhere near as much travel - literally play a couple of games in Dhaka, then they all move to Chittagong for a few more games, then back to Dhaka, etc compared to the BBL scheduling, which has you travelling all over the shop for seven weeks. Meanwhile, Bangladesh is over in a month.

Plus it's peak time for international cricket, so heaps of the best are only here for a bit or not at all. Even Australian players are pulled in and out.

Like all corporate ****-ups, there are a lot of small things that need to be fixed, instead of one big silver bullet.

Oh, and if international players are complaining about not playing, it's because their performance is often underwhelming.

 

[Howard Littlejohn]

I don't think the BBL is in trouble. A few players play elsewhere, so what? Is the EPL in trouble because some players go to FC Barcelona?
A lot of the non-Australian players that are missing the average eight year old, and casual cricket follower, will have either not heard of or forgotten about. Those with a strong interest talk about the standard, but retain an interest. The more casual fan is there to watch their team with no care about broader issues. Much like the AFL, it doesn't matter much if the standard drops as there isn't any real competition for that set of fans.
People are going for the theatre, and watching on TV for the same. Too much of it is an issue. There's interest as a new season begins, and as finals positions take shape, but there is now a mid-season lull as it drags on too long (much like an ICC World Cup).

As much as I wish the whole thing would crawl away and die, it won't happen.

 

[Hamingja]

In Sangakkara's second season he spent more than half the season on the bench. He misfired a few times and the Canes were done with him. The Canes weren't a top of the table side and they could have easily fit him in their side.

Shah played a few seasons and had a poor final season. I remember the commentators were savage on him and the Canes sent him packing before the end of the season.

Point being that particularly in Sanga's case, some players may feel aggrieved by the treatment of their franchise and this may filter across internationally.

Players may not see the BBL as a must play destination.

Sangakkara scored 105 runs in 8 matches in 15/16 & 68 runs in 5 matches in 16/17. Can't have any complaints about being dropped when you are that bad.

You might say the Canes weren't that good but with Short, Paine, Bailey, Dunk, Christian, McDermott & Wells that is a solid batting group and 6 of the 7 have played international cricket for Australia. In the end they dropped him to blood Beau Webster. The kid came in and immediately did better than Sangakkara.

Shah scored 52 runs in 6 matches in 13/14. He was completely figured out as a leg side only player by that stage.

You are kidding yourself if you think either were treated unfairly.

 

[Oaktree]

Sangakkara scored 105 runs in 8 matches in 15/16 & 68 runs in 5 matches in 16/17. Can't have any complaints about being dropped when you are that bad.

You might say the Canes weren't that good but with Short, Paine, Bailey, Dunk, Christian, McDermott & Wells that is a solid batting group and 6 of the 7 have played international cricket for Australia. In the end they dropped him to blood Beau Webster. The kid came in and immediately did better than Sangakkara.

Shah scored 52 runs in 6 matches in 13/14. He was completely figured out as a leg side only player by that stage.

You are kidding yourself if you think either were treated unfairly.

Well they didn't make finals that season and kept Sanga on the bench during the final games where a player of his calibre could make a serious difference.

I agree he could have been rested for a game or two, but he sat out of the remainer of the season. So I stand by my earlier posts that he got treated pretty harshly by the franchise.

I didn't disagree with Owais Shah being dropped, more the antipathy shown by the broadcasters towards him at the time and given he'd been a quality contributor in previous seasons, he might've deserved a bit more respect.

 

[Damon_3388]

Well they didn't make finals that season and kept Sanga on the bench during the final games where a player of his calibre could make a serious difference.

I agree he could have been rested for a game or two, but he sat out of the remainer of the season. So I stand by my earlier posts that he got treated pretty harshly by the franchise.

I didn't disagree with Owais Shah being dropped, more the antipathy shown by the broadcasters towards him at the time and given he'd been a quality contributor in previous seasons, he might've deserved a bit more respect.

I think that's one of the good things about the T20 format, especially in tournament play - It's about performing and producing right now, not about what you've done in the past or getting by on reputation.

 

[Ishikawa]

The BBL has become a product of its own arrogance.

I guess in line with the previous management, the league bought into its own hype.

I think the league may have suffered by the ways it treated previous internationals such as Gayle and Sangakkara.

There may be a level of antipathy towards the BBL shared by internationals who have previously competed in the league.

Owais Shah got treated poorly by the Hurricanes IIRC and the Scorchers felt no need for an international a few seasons ago and hardly played Carberry.

The commentators haven't helped in the past with their ego-filled musings.

The fact there are no Indians in the comp always make it hard but the other T20 leagues have managed to thrive regardless.

The fact the comp goes from Dec to Feb and pays a fraction of the IPL hardly makes it an exciting prospect for players.

What a bizarre post. Carberry was a consistent fixture in the Scorchers lineup and while never setting the comp alight did a pretty decent job.

Kumar is a legend of the sport, but had a shocking run of form in his summer in Tassie. It happens and I'm sure he'd agree being the sort of guy he is.

Shah played quite a lot if I recall correctly, terrific T20 and short format batsman but was right at the end of his career.

The BBL appears to be making some weak and short-term focused strategic moves, but on the whole international players have appeared to really enjoy it and know that in England in particular the county guys love the idea of getting over here for their off-season. making the season longer without a corresponding increase in pay (& still lagging by a long way behind the money splashed about in the BPL & T10 leagues cropping up in the middle east) makes it harder for the cream of the T20 crop to justify coming here.

 

[Kyptastic]

They have a few issues, but the BBL is still a very strong product. Few tweaks need to be made to the scheduling. The decision to have no Free-to-air matches on a Saturday night during the regular season is probably the biggest own-goal of the deal. Big need to get the pitches up to standard, particularly at Marvel.

As a Renegades fan though, I loved last year. Those two finals wins were insane. I was one over from being out the door before the wickets started tumbling.

 

[ROOTA#6]

The fact that there is more cash on offer in Bangladesh then here is the biggest issue.

The tv deal was also a disgrace and set the comp back.

I realise that those two points probably contradict each other but not having games on free to air for kids to watch is a disgrace. CA forgot what the league was actually created for

 

[greatwhiteshark]

Australians don't watch second rate sportsman. They don't watch the shield, they don't watch state leagues in footy.
The BBL is shield players having a tonk, the novelty has well and truly worn off and like any other league it needs stars in it to sustain it.
That even our own best Cricketers in the country don't play in it most of the time is just how poorly organised it is.

 

[Bomberboyokay]

Where does the money in Bangladesh come from?

Australians don't watch second rate sportsman. They don't watch the shield, they don't watch state leagues in footy.

This is true but Australians also don't watch the IPL (some do but not many). The BBL can cloak the absent talent in a way the A-League will never be able to.

 

[corbies]

Where does the money in Bangladesh come from?

The TV deal in Bangladesh alone is worth US$82 million/season. They may be a developing country but they are still a country of 130 million people. There's going to be some money there. Sponsorship of the tournament is apparently about US$50 million as well.

 

[Freo Big Fella]

For all the talk of the lack of "big names", how big a factor is the fact that it terms of results, they've largely flopped?

Pietersen, Flintoff were padding their superannuation, Sangakkarra was awful, Gayle did nothing with the bat and brought nuclear-level bad PR. Eoin Morgan, Jos Buttler and McCullum probably the only three I can put down as having blowout seasons, off the top of my head.

The best recruits (in performance terms) have been County-level T20 specialists (Alfonso Thomas, Luke Wright, Archer, Carberry), international T20 journeymen (Russell, Yasir Arafat, Rana Naved) and associates (Rashid, Mujeeb, Sandeep, Nabi).

Hardly the names that are going to give Cricket Australia a PR boner, but most of the teams seem to be realising that it's winning games that brings the crowds in, not the individuals on the team sheet.

(Still, would be interesting to see whether an AB or Faf could change that.)

 

[BIGBOYmcevoy]

The BBL seems to have shot themselves in the foot. After a fantastic run of popularity, they decided to expand the number of games, which hasn't worked. They've almost doubled the number of games which has resulted in a dip in the average attendance.

2015-16
Average crowd: 29,443
Number of games: 32

2016-17
Average crowd: 30,114
Number of games: 32

2017-18
Average crowd: 26,531
Number of games: 40

2018-19
Average crowd: 20,552
Number of games: 56

In the most recent season, the average crowd was down 32% from the 2016-17. This coincided with the Scorchers moving to Optus Stadium and increasing their average attendance by 9,000.


If this trend continues, it could spell the death of the BBL and with the league considering expansion, the problem could possibly get worse.

 

[ROOTA#6]

For all the talk of the lack of "big names", how big a factor is the fact that it terms of results, they've largely flopped?

Pietersen, Flintoff were padding their superannuation, Sangakkarra was awful, Gayle did nothing with the bat and brought nuclear-level bad PR. Eoin Morgan, Jos Buttler and McCullum probably the only three I can put down as having blowout seasons, off the top of my head.

The best recruits (in performance terms) have been County-level T20 specialists (Alfonso Thomas, Luke Wright, Archer, Carberry), international T20 journeymen (Russell, Yasir Arafat, Rana Naved) and associates (Rashid, Mujeeb, Sandeep, Nabi).

Hardly the names that are going to give Cricket Australia a PR boner, but most of the teams seem to be realising that it's winning games that brings the crowds in, not the individuals on the team sheet.

(Still, would be interesting to see whether an AB or Faf could change that.)

Pietersen was pretty good for the Stars to be fair and Ten were able to leverage off him quite well. IMO getting greedy for TV cash and taking the rights off Ten was the start of the downhill slide

 

[Kappa]

The Sheffield shield and 1 day comp are completely dead, only kept alive on drip feed by CA.

If/when the Big Bash becomes mostly state league players than it will continue to drop until it gets close to those levels. Interest is already falling fast and less and less big names are coming to join, so yes, it's in massive trouble.

 

[Kyptastic]

The BBL seems to have shot themselves in the foot. After a fantastic run of popularity, they decided to expand the number of games, which hasn't worked. They've almost doubled the number of games which has resulted in a dip in the average attendance.

2015-16
Average crowd: 29,443
Number of games: 32

2016-17
Average crowd: 30,114
Number of games: 32

2017-18
Average crowd: 26,531
Number of games: 40

2018-19
Average crowd: 20,552
Number of games: 56

In the most recent season, the average crowd was down 32% from the 2016-17. This coincided with the Scorchers moving to Optus Stadium and increasing their average attendance by 9,000.


If this trend continues, it could spell the death of the BBL and with the league considering expansion, the problem could possibly get worse.

In part, the drop in crowds is also due to having some games at secondary grounds - Melbourne played in Moe, Renegades in Geelong, Brisbane at Gold Coast etc.

 

[BIGBOYmcevoy]

In part, the drop in crowds is also due to having some games at secondary grounds - Melbourne played in Moe, Renegades in Geelong, Brisbane at Gold Coast etc.

But if that's true, it would be outweighed by the Scorchers move to Optus Stadium (Which it hasn't)

 

[Leeda]

Ever since Brendon McCullum delivered his no to the league and other international players were not joining the Australian League of Cricket. I was
disappointed.. gotta find a way.. do they have to always have so much money? crock of gold isn't always worth it.. I thought these dudes were
wanting to just play and enjoy the bat and ball.

 

[Art Vandelay_]

Fingers crossed

 

[Leeda]

Fingers crossed

is that a kiss of death.. or a lovely note to the crash party of the upcoming WC.. shooting at a point in the sky..