New Delhi, Oct 16 (IANS) Head of Big Bash League Alistair Dobson highlighted that India was the best option for bringing the Big Bash League out of Australia’s borders, as the MA Chidambaram Stadium will be hosting the BBL 16 season opener between Melbourne Renegades and Perth Scorchers on December 12.
The league has been among the most popular leagues in the world, and its travel to India will add an Indian flavour, with the BBL already being followed in the nation.
Dobson stated that the days of the BBL being held only in Australia have gone, as they push to make the sport more global, and also highlighted that India was the best market to bring the tournament to outside Australian soil. Cricket Australia also expects the opener to involve a sellout in Chepauk.
“Very confident (about raising the profile of the BBL this season). I think we all can see the globalisation of T20 cricket and the importance for the biggest of leagues, including the IPL and the BBL, to be able to exist and perform on a global stage, not just in our own country,” Dobson said as quoted by Cricinfo.
“So whether that’s from a fan perspective that we want fans all around the world tuning into the BBL… but equally and importantly that all the best players from around the world want to come and be part of our competition – whether that’s our men’s league or our women’s league.
“So, the days of the BBL just being an Australian league where we exist and grow in our own backyard are over, and the BBL is and continues to grow as a global league that has fans and impact around the world,” he added.
Meanwhile, he added that the BBL is among the two most popular leagues in the world and emphasised what it means to bring the tournament to India. “We believe the BBL is in the top couple of leagues globally and certainly part of the objective here is reinforcing that. There’s no better place to do that than in India amongst the most passionate T20 fans and cricket fans in the world. I think the response… We know the BBL is already really popular in India,” Dobson said.
Moreover, Dobson also confirmed that there will be no reserve day for the opener at Chepauk despite the weather in Chennai in December likely to witness downpour. Mid-December marks the end of monsoon in Chennai, which can put a question on the clash; however, Dobson stated that with the match scheduled to take place in the afternoon, they will look for extra time compared to the normal BBL games.
“We’ve certainly taken lots of advice from the locals and are really optimistic that we’ll be in good shape, but clearly you can’t predict the weather,” Dobson said. “We won’t have a reserve day. We are working through some playing conditions that might allow us to extend the playing time if required.
“We’re really committed to getting a game played, and we think there are some ways we can do that, albeit not with a reserve day given the nature of the BBL. A bit like the IPL, where the show rolls on pretty quickly to the next stop. We don’t have scope for a reserve day, but we’re doing everything we can to make sure we get a game in for sure… The afternoon game (2.40 pm IST start) does give us the scope to add some more length to the playing time if needed,” he said.
The head of Big Bash League also ruled out the possibility of a WBBL game taking place in India at least for the time being. “First and foremost, getting this year’s BBL game executed successfully is clearly our priority and where we’re putting all our effort,” he said. “We do believe in the WBBL, and it is, in our view, the best cricket league for women in the world. So we would be open to, in the future, the possibility of bringing a WBBL game to different parts of the world.
“Right now, our seasons don’t align in the context of double-headers, and so that’s probably not on the cards. But certainly, we also know through the WPL how popular our women’s players are in India and clearly how good they are. So, I’d never say never on that,” he added.
–IANS
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