OPINION: Chris Lynn has signed an 11-game compromise deal with the Adelaide Strikers, a landmark arrangement in the BBL. It’s hard to ignore the concerns this may cause, as Cricket Australia’s problems grow bigger.
Cricket’s coming fast and this summer is showing promise with the recent revamping of the Big Bash, fronted by the upcoming inaugural Draft. But with the rise of other global T20 leagues, including the UAE’s brand new incarnation, the BBL and Cricket Australia has an almighty fight on its hands to keep the biggest names on its shores.
Chris Lynn was the first domino to fall, after confirming he will play 11 games in the Big Bash before departing for the highly lucrative UAE T20 League. The money on offer to Lynn is almost incomparable to what he will receive in Australia and it now looks like only a matter of time before more stars of the game will be lured.
Cricket Australia has made a large, $8 million dollar investment in player recruitment and managed to keep one its biggest stars in David Warner committed to the BBL in order to help the game grow. Warner’s joined the Sydney Thunder on a two-season agreement.
There are some other measures Cricket Australia needs to explore, before it’s too late to return its golden goose to its former glory.
Shorten the schedule, try not to clash with other T20 leagues
The increased length of the Big Bash tournament has been heavily scrutinised. It’s simply too long; it’s not just fans but also players struggling to stay invested for the tournament’s entirety, particularly if there are now other lucrative offers on the table.
Starting the tournament in early December and finishing up in mid-to-late January would be ideal, limiting games. The UAE T20 league is currently slated to start on the 16th of January, if the Big Bash was to finish around that time period, players would be more inclined to hang around for the finals series.
It’s clear that financially the Big Bash cannot compete with the other international tournaments, making losing players a certainty. But allowing players to more easily fit in multiple tournaments becomes an enticing proposition – both financially and lifestyle.
Although shortening the schedule wouldn’t go down well with the media rights holders, it would be in the best interest of the game to have the best players in the tournament. It will also help make most games matter, which boosts the match quality and ‘sell’ factor.
Ban Australians from playing for the national team if they leave the Big Bash for another league
This is definitely an extreme option and could cause a divide, but what other options do you have to test the loyalty of the Australian cricketers? Being a member of the Australian Cricket team comes with enormous pride, privilege and prestige. It’s something Rugby Australia’s been grappling with for years now.
As quick cash is becoming all the rage in T20 cricket, this would become a true test of national loyalty. The players have to bare some of the responsibility for allowing white-ball cricket to continue growing. The next generation of cricketers in Australia are facing the very real prospect of not seeing any of their heroes represent their hometowns in the Big Bash.
The damage that the Big Bash and Australian cricket face if more players began prioritising money over home soil cricket may quickly become irreparable. As more time elapses and more hurdles arise, there’s serious work for CA to get through. The legitimacy of the competition is at stake.