Cricket Australia looking at triple headers for expanded Big Bash League

Cricket Australia is considering introducing triple headers for an expanded Big Bash League next season as part of a proposal to squeeze more matches into an already tight schedule.

As the BBL heads into finals time, CA officials are in talks with TV and commercial partners and players about increasing the number of games in its Twenty20 competition.After staging an eight-round season plus finals for the previous five editions, CA added an extra two rounds for BBL7 and is keen to eventually stretch out to a full home and away season. This would result in a 59-game tournament – up from this summer's 43 – where every team would play 14 games before the semi-finals and final. CA is still months away from completing a draft fixture for next season.

Finding the time to play the extra matches will be an issue for CA, which locks in the dates for its international games first as they involve negotiations with other boards before finalising its domestic fixtures. Australia takes on India for four Tests in December and January then hosts Sri Lanka for two Tests and limited overs games.The Sydney Morning Herald

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Cricket Australia looking at triple headers for expanded Big Bash League
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Andrew Wu January 31 2018 - 7:35PM
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Cricket Australia is considering introducing triple headers for an expanded Big Bash League next season as part of a proposal to squeeze more matches into an already tight schedule.

As the BBL heads into finals time, CA officials are in talks with TV and commercial partners and players about increasing the number of games in its Twenty20 competition.

Cricket Australia are in talks about increasing the number of games in its Twenty20 competition.
Cricket Australia are in talks about increasing the number of games in its Twenty20 competition. Photo: Melissa Adams
After staging an eight-round season plus finals for the previous five editions, CA added an extra two rounds for BBL7 and is keen to eventually stretch out to a full home and away season. This would result in a 59-game tournament – up from this summer's 43 – where every team would play 14 games before the semi-finals and final. CA is still months away from completing a draft fixture for next season.

Finding the time to play the extra matches will be an issue for CA, which locks in the dates for its international games first as they involve negotiations with other boards before finalising its domestic fixtures. Australia takes on India for four Tests in December and January then hosts Sri Lanka for two Tests and limited overs games.

The BBL is looking at moving to triple headers for BBL8.
The BBL is looking at moving to triple headers for BBL8.
Another factor likely to impact the BBL schedule will be the timing of the day/night Tests. Under the terms of the current broadcast agreement, which expires at the end of the season, BBL games have not been held in competition with day/night Tests or limited overs internationals.

It's understood CA is exploring staging three matches one after another in a bid to fit in more games. These are likely to occur on a Saturday and involve a match being held in Perth to take advantage of the time difference.

CA has staged triple headers this season, which included one WBBL game. There is talk of the WBBL becoming a stand-alone competition held through October-November from 2019-20 as part of a strategy that would have cricket telecast almost nightly after the end of the football seasons.

Also on the table for next summer is the BBL starting a week earlier and finishing a week later. This would result in more of the competition being played outside the holiday period.

The BBL has kicked off the week before Christmas for the past five seasons with research showing fans preferred a later start as close as possible to the festive season.

It's understood the concept of more matches has received a lukewarm response from broadcasters and players. There are concerns that a longer tournament would make it harder for franchises to sign up international stars, particularly Twenty20 specialists who travel the world in different leagues.

As it stands, this summer's BBL, despite having 17 fewer games, is only three days shorter than the lucrative Indian Premier League, which has a $16 million salary cap – 10 times that of its Australian rival.

Players are not against expansion but have in the past said they do not want it to come at the expense of other formats.

It's hard to see how an expanded BBL will not encroach further into the Sheffield Shield, which players feel is being treated as a testing ground for new ideas and therefore losing its integrity as a bona fide first-class competition.

There may also be implications for the timing of the JLT Cup, which has been held as a carnival at the start of the domestic season since 2013-14. There is opposition among players over this format with many preferring the previous system where shield and one-day games were interspersed throughout the summer.

While the BBL has again rated highly, despite being marginally down on last season, networks generally do not want sport to affect its regular programming during the week. Matches on Friday, Saturday and Sunday would alleviate this issue.