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AFLW 2024 - Round 9 - Indigenous Round - Chat, game threads, injury lists, team lineups and more.
Fall and Fall of Big Bash
- Thread starter The Fonz
- Start date
- Tagged users None
You seem to hate cricket so much to promote your hatred.
Australia Day tomorrow, if some kids have a bash with a bat and ball, that’s called cricket.
Children seem to love the BBL, your narcissist attitude fires back at you.
I’ve promoted all the forms of cricket.
I’m in Brisbane, saw the final and one person on town had a Heat top on, today haven’t seen a single one. Its really captured the imagination of the Brisbane public!!!
We have always said, yes Perth people love T20, it’s the only format they have the attention span to understand, but the rest of the country doesn’t give a ****.
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There was 43K at the game.
The dext Shield game will be lucky to have 43 people.
You narcissists are a joke, and proven wrong every time
Yeah, 43k went to the game in Sydney and no one cared when their ‘team’ lost, just like not a single person in Brisbane cares the Heat won.
Everyone can remember countless great test matches and innings, no one could recall a great T20 game or innings.
It’s great it’s cheap entertainment for kids, all we’re saying is it’s meaningless entertainment that no one outside Perth actually cares who wins. Unlike every other sport it’s not about wins or losses, it’s how entertaining it is to little kids.
eth-dog
Tier 1 WW Player
Really? That's what you're going with? In this thread, what have I posted that could be construed as "hating cricket"?
I've actually COMPLIMENTED the BBL for the most part in here. But you see one minor thing and you start doing a Veruca Salt impression.
Thank you for completely proving my point though. I didn't even insult the BBL, I just pointed out an uncomfortable truth about you.
And yeah, it's Australia Day. I've had more than a few rounds of backyard tests on this date. And I have never said that T20 isn't cricket. It is. It's cheap, and fun but it's not something I lose sleep over if my team loses.
Lmfao.
The delusion has no bounds around here.
Not only are people pretending the BBL isn’t popular, now we have someone claiming the Sheffield Shield is.
Old men are the most delusional and selfish species on the planet.
I have seriously heard it all now, we are to celebrate the return of the Sheffield Shield lol.
Grand Uncle Horace
Shake down the thunder
Lol. Did I ask you to celebrate it? Did I claim it was popular?
Good luck with your English as a First Language course.
In the Queen Street Mall yesterday, there several hundred fans queued up as players received the keys to the city from the Lord Mayor and then signed for two hours befor3 going to the Test where they had a presentation to a very appreciative crowd. Lots of teal in the Test crowd among the kids too . . . maybe it's a Queensland thing
Check out the Heat's FB and Instagram pages if you'd like to have another perspective.
I don't think anyone who saw the Trav Head 100 on NYE a few years ago will ever forget that game.
I've been in Brisbane the last 3 days and saw plenty of Heat gear
You're talking first class sh*t as per usual
I don't remember the exact result of the game but Craig Simmons' fastest hundred is unforgettable in my mind.
The semi final that year against the Sixers I also remember well. Simmons hit another 100 and Scorchers made 194. It then rained almost to a NR which would've resulted in the Sixers making the final purely because they were ranked higher. They had five overs thankfully and fell short.
The BBL04 final is the third and final most memorable T20 game for me. Brett Lee's last ever game. It's the one the Scorchers won off the last ball when Henriques fumbled it.
I'd imagine whoever watched Cooper Connolly last season would call that final unforgettable as well.
The semi final that year against the Sixers I also remember well. Simmons hit another 100 and Scorchers made 194. It then rained almost to a NR which would've resulted in the Sixers making the final purely because they were ranked higher. They had five overs thankfully and fell short.
The BBL04 final is the third and final most memorable T20 game for me. Brett Lee's last ever game. It's the one the Scorchers won off the last ball when Henriques fumbled it.
I'd imagine whoever watched Cooper Connolly last season would call that final unforgettable as well.
Good for you, I still didn’t see a single person after the game. Saw a lot more Scorchers gear this week!!!
Cleavy
Hall of Famer
Singapore and Jakarta are being touted as potential expansion locations for the Big Bash as part of an audacious play to engage an untapped Asian market.
Cricket Australia is being urged to consider the exotic ventures as it seriously weighs up the merits of expanding the BBL for the first time in the competition’s history.
Canberra is the firm early favourite to enter the Big Bash as the new ninth franchise should CA make the bold decision to expand, however, there is a push for administrators to think outside the square and look further afield.
Indian Premier League juggernauts like Chennai Super Kings and Mumbai Indians have long held a desire to buy into the Big Bash, and senior cricketing figures believe there is merit in setting up a franchise in a major Asian city like Singapore or Jakarta as a means of bringing the might of the sub-continent into the competition.
Cricket has already identified Indonesia, the world’s fourth most populous country, as a prime opportunity for growing the game given it doesn’t have a major national sport outside of football.
New Zealand is the most obvious overseas location for the Big Bash to consider expanding into, but the voice of New Zealand cricket, Ian Smith is pessimistic about the prospects for success.
Sources at Cricket Australia have confirmed all options would be on the table if a decision is made this year to fully explore expansion.
Here we break down the pros and cons of the Big Bash’s expansion options:
The ACT Government and heavy-hitters like David Pocock and ACT Cricket’s influential Chairman Greg Boorer are behind the proposal, adamant the region deserves more big-time national sport.
Cricket Australia will not expand unless it is convinced adding a ninth team is financially sustainable, and Canberra believes it has those boxes ticked.
Critics argue you cannot expand to a regional area that does not feature in the 5 City Metro TV ratings and say it is not possible to make money on the gate for a small 12,000 capacity ground.
Cricket NSW and Cricket Victoria are also dead against the move because they believe a Canberra team would diminish their playing stocks when they are already the only states facilitating two Big Bash teams each.
The alternate view is some healthy competition might light a fire underneath NSW and force the state to be more accountable for developing its rich talent through to the elite level.
Canberra might not sound as exotic as New Zealand, Singapore or Jakarta, but there is something to be said for cost management.
Super Rugby, the A-League and NBL have all struggled with the sustainability of overseas expansion.
It’s cost effective for broadcasters to operate out of Canberra and they like the ground because on TV it looks better to have a small venue packed out, rather than have empty big stadiums.
The conundrum for Cricket Australia is that unless it gives Canberra its own team, the region may be left with no Big Bash matches at all going forward.
The Sydney Thunder may cease playing any home matches in Canberra because the struggling club has realised it has an identity problem and needs to fully commit to harnessing the western Sydney market.
The fact a near-capacity 11,173 crowd turned up at Manuka Oval for the Thunder v Adelaide Strikers on January 14 when the Thunder was already out of finals’ contention shows there is legitimate support for the Big Bash in Canberra.
In the NRL the Canberra Raiders have more members than most clubs and it’s understood the Raiders and ACT Brumbies are supportive of a Big Bash team in the region as a venture which could be mutually beneficial for winter and summer sports.
Sky NZ pitches in about $30 million a year to the NRL’s broadcast rights due to the presence of the Warriors in the Australian competition.
Insiders say a contra agreement for trans-Tasman Big Bash cricket would be less, but it could still mean Sky kicking in $7-10 million a year in a market where TV money is becoming harder to come by.
Australian states are worried about the strain on the playing pool if a ninth team was added to the BBL, but senior cricket officials believe that problem could be alleviated if a New Zealand franchise was welcomed in and New Zealand cricketers were treated as local players and not overseas internationals.
It sounds great in theory, but enormous work would need to be put into making it a reality because there are significant road blocks, not to mention having two separate national boards working in unison.
New Zealand chief executive Scott Weenink told this masthead that the only grounds on which his organisation believe entering the BBL would enhance kiwi cricket is if they were given at least two teams, not one.
Weenink says one team representing the NZ game in the Big Bash would be detrimental to its own domestic competition.
So would CA be prepared to jump from eight teams to 10?
Former NZ wicketkeeper and Fox Cricket commentator Ian Smith is skeptical about what a kiwi presence would do for the Big Bash.
“From what I’ve seen in the BBL, I don’t think we (NZ) have an individual team that would go over there and win the right number of games to be competitive,” Smith told this masthead.
“I just don’t think we have the pool of players, the depth of players below our top tier that would be able to compete with the franchises you have at the moment.
“From New Zealand’s point of view it would be good, because it would increase our competition and it would give players’ opportunity to get into a fully professional, serious T20 league.
“But from Australia’s perspective, I don’t really see too much of an upside aside from a slightly wider market. I’m not sure it’s going to add a heck of a lot of quality.”
There are over 200,000 cricket participants in Indonesia and cricket bosses see enormous potential, particularly for the women’s game if the massive country right on our doorstep can be properly engaged.
Facilities would be the biggest roadblock to a Jakarta or Singapore team in the short-term, but Cricket Australia administrators are being urged to take a long-term view.
Cricket Australia is resisting privatising the Big Bash League, but this could become increasingly problematic given the wealth of the franchise-leagues the BBL is now competing with.
The England Cricket Board has given consideration to welcoming private investment from IPL franchises into its Hundred competition.
For CA, the question is, could you have privately owned teams in the same competition as traditional outfits run by the Australian states?
Certainly, the NRL and AFL operate successfully with this mix, and technically speaking there would be nothing stopping Cricket Australia from having an IPL franchise located in Asia.
It goes without saying that welcoming in the IPL – who have bought up franchise teams all over the globe and are desperate to get into Australia – would take the BBL into a whole new stratosphere in terms of TV rights and audience exposure.
However, the obvious complication would be maintaining an even playing field when there’s a team being bankrolled by India.
However, the one major drawback being Queensland and Western Australia would be against it.
They’ve seen what a struggle it is for NSW and Victoria – as big as they are – to facilitate two BBL teams in their state and are very comfortable pouring all their resources into just the one team.
WA and Queensland are experts in streamlining their programs and aren’t about to give that up, not to mention the parochial support they receive in Perth and Brisbane.
Bellotti urged CA and the ECB to combine forces with a merging of the Big Bash and Hundred that would double the amount of cricket being played by domestic English and Australian players.
“I am once again asking for CA and the ECB to merge their T20 tournaments, creating an annual (played January and July) combined South-North hemisphere event with greater following immediately and potential for growth to compete with the IPL (which neither can do on their own).”
Under the bold proposal, English teams would come to the Big Bash in January, and BBL teams would travel to England in June.
Cricket Australia is being urged to consider the exotic ventures as it seriously weighs up the merits of expanding the BBL for the first time in the competition’s history.
Canberra is the firm early favourite to enter the Big Bash as the new ninth franchise should CA make the bold decision to expand, however, there is a push for administrators to think outside the square and look further afield.
Indian Premier League juggernauts like Chennai Super Kings and Mumbai Indians have long held a desire to buy into the Big Bash, and senior cricketing figures believe there is merit in setting up a franchise in a major Asian city like Singapore or Jakarta as a means of bringing the might of the sub-continent into the competition.
Cricket has already identified Indonesia, the world’s fourth most populous country, as a prime opportunity for growing the game given it doesn’t have a major national sport outside of football.
New Zealand is the most obvious overseas location for the Big Bash to consider expanding into, but the voice of New Zealand cricket, Ian Smith is pessimistic about the prospects for success.
Sources at Cricket Australia have confirmed all options would be on the table if a decision is made this year to fully explore expansion.
Here we break down the pros and cons of the Big Bash’s expansion options:
Canberra
There is confidence down in the nation’s capital that should CA elect to greenlight expansion, Canberra is poised to enter the Big Bash League as early as two summers’ time when the Ashes rolls into Australia.The ACT Government and heavy-hitters like David Pocock and ACT Cricket’s influential Chairman Greg Boorer are behind the proposal, adamant the region deserves more big-time national sport.
Cricket Australia will not expand unless it is convinced adding a ninth team is financially sustainable, and Canberra believes it has those boxes ticked.
Critics argue you cannot expand to a regional area that does not feature in the 5 City Metro TV ratings and say it is not possible to make money on the gate for a small 12,000 capacity ground.
Cricket NSW and Cricket Victoria are also dead against the move because they believe a Canberra team would diminish their playing stocks when they are already the only states facilitating two Big Bash teams each.
The alternate view is some healthy competition might light a fire underneath NSW and force the state to be more accountable for developing its rich talent through to the elite level.
Canberra might not sound as exotic as New Zealand, Singapore or Jakarta, but there is something to be said for cost management.
Super Rugby, the A-League and NBL have all struggled with the sustainability of overseas expansion.
It’s cost effective for broadcasters to operate out of Canberra and they like the ground because on TV it looks better to have a small venue packed out, rather than have empty big stadiums.
The conundrum for Cricket Australia is that unless it gives Canberra its own team, the region may be left with no Big Bash matches at all going forward.
The Sydney Thunder may cease playing any home matches in Canberra because the struggling club has realised it has an identity problem and needs to fully commit to harnessing the western Sydney market.
The fact a near-capacity 11,173 crowd turned up at Manuka Oval for the Thunder v Adelaide Strikers on January 14 when the Thunder was already out of finals’ contention shows there is legitimate support for the Big Bash in Canberra.
In the NRL the Canberra Raiders have more members than most clubs and it’s understood the Raiders and ACT Brumbies are supportive of a Big Bash team in the region as a venture which could be mutually beneficial for winter and summer sports.
New Zealand
There is no doubt that expanding to New Zealand over Canberra has the potential to bring more eyeballs to the Big Bash and also increase player depth.Sky NZ pitches in about $30 million a year to the NRL’s broadcast rights due to the presence of the Warriors in the Australian competition.
Insiders say a contra agreement for trans-Tasman Big Bash cricket would be less, but it could still mean Sky kicking in $7-10 million a year in a market where TV money is becoming harder to come by.
Australian states are worried about the strain on the playing pool if a ninth team was added to the BBL, but senior cricket officials believe that problem could be alleviated if a New Zealand franchise was welcomed in and New Zealand cricketers were treated as local players and not overseas internationals.
It sounds great in theory, but enormous work would need to be put into making it a reality because there are significant road blocks, not to mention having two separate national boards working in unison.
New Zealand chief executive Scott Weenink told this masthead that the only grounds on which his organisation believe entering the BBL would enhance kiwi cricket is if they were given at least two teams, not one.
Weenink says one team representing the NZ game in the Big Bash would be detrimental to its own domestic competition.
So would CA be prepared to jump from eight teams to 10?
Former NZ wicketkeeper and Fox Cricket commentator Ian Smith is skeptical about what a kiwi presence would do for the Big Bash.
“From what I’ve seen in the BBL, I don’t think we (NZ) have an individual team that would go over there and win the right number of games to be competitive,” Smith told this masthead.
“I just don’t think we have the pool of players, the depth of players below our top tier that would be able to compete with the franchises you have at the moment.
“From New Zealand’s point of view it would be good, because it would increase our competition and it would give players’ opportunity to get into a fully professional, serious T20 league.
“But from Australia’s perspective, I don’t really see too much of an upside aside from a slightly wider market. I’m not sure it’s going to add a heck of a lot of quality.”
SINGAPORE AND JAKARTA
Western Australia chief executive Christina Matthews confirmed to this masthead that the WACA has been engaged in a program dedicated to trying to grow cricket in Indonesia.There are over 200,000 cricket participants in Indonesia and cricket bosses see enormous potential, particularly for the women’s game if the massive country right on our doorstep can be properly engaged.
Facilities would be the biggest roadblock to a Jakarta or Singapore team in the short-term, but Cricket Australia administrators are being urged to take a long-term view.
Cricket Australia is resisting privatising the Big Bash League, but this could become increasingly problematic given the wealth of the franchise-leagues the BBL is now competing with.
The England Cricket Board has given consideration to welcoming private investment from IPL franchises into its Hundred competition.
For CA, the question is, could you have privately owned teams in the same competition as traditional outfits run by the Australian states?
Certainly, the NRL and AFL operate successfully with this mix, and technically speaking there would be nothing stopping Cricket Australia from having an IPL franchise located in Asia.
It goes without saying that welcoming in the IPL – who have bought up franchise teams all over the globe and are desperate to get into Australia – would take the BBL into a whole new stratosphere in terms of TV rights and audience exposure.
However, the obvious complication would be maintaining an even playing field when there’s a team being bankrolled by India.
Queensland and Western Australia
North Queensland, Gold Coast and a second team in Perth are also expansion locations that hold significant merit.However, the one major drawback being Queensland and Western Australia would be against it.
They’ve seen what a struggle it is for NSW and Victoria – as big as they are – to facilitate two BBL teams in their state and are very comfortable pouring all their resources into just the one team.
WA and Queensland are experts in streamlining their programs and aren’t about to give that up, not to mention the parochial support they receive in Perth and Brisbane.
MERGER WITH ENGLAND?
Triple M producer and podcaster Matt Bellotti raised a fascinating suggestion on social media platform X in response to this masthead’s reporting that Cricket Australia was seriously considering expanding the BBL.Bellotti urged CA and the ECB to combine forces with a merging of the Big Bash and Hundred that would double the amount of cricket being played by domestic English and Australian players.
“I am once again asking for CA and the ECB to merge their T20 tournaments, creating an annual (played January and July) combined South-North hemisphere event with greater following immediately and potential for growth to compete with the IPL (which neither can do on their own).”
Under the bold proposal, English teams would come to the Big Bash in January, and BBL teams would travel to England in June.
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I feel like 10 teams is the absolute maximum number of teams the BBL can support, so any expansion may need to come with merging the Melbourne and Sydney teams. If they want a Canberra team, realistically the Thunder just need to move there.
I like the idea of two NZ teams but also understand Ian Smith's points. Of the international options, Singapore would be most likely to have the funding and facilities to host a team. Could certainly be interesting but I doubt it goes ahead. Can't see the England option being seriously considered.
I like the idea of two NZ teams but also understand Ian Smith's points. Of the international options, Singapore would be most likely to have the funding and facilities to host a team. Could certainly be interesting but I doubt it goes ahead. Can't see the England option being seriously considered.
I tend to agree in moving The Thunder to Canberra rather than starting a new team.
I’d also move the Renegades to Geelong, with maybe a couple of games in Bendigo or Ballarat.
There’s no way Perth can have another side, it’s nothing like the Eagles, Fremantle situation. There is no overflow of fans. In Perth you either follow the Big Bash, and thereby support the Scorchers, or you don’t care for the competition, so you’re not going to care about the new side anyway.
Teen Wolf
Norm Smith Medallist
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CA should take a leaf out of the AFL's playbook and say Canberra can have a team if they build a roofed 25k venue. And also put the same requirement on western Sydney to keep their team.
I'm reminded of the Singapore Slingers, which had one year in the NBL before withdrawing because the costs were too great.
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