Fall and Fall of Big Bash

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At this point I don’t think it even matters if bigger name players are brought in from overseas or not. The likes of Joe Root, Jofra Archer, Trent Boult and Dawid Malan didn’t get anyone excited. The only overseas players that would make headlines are Indian players, and we all know they aren’t going to be playing anything other than IPL.
 
On the whole, and this will sound like a generalisation but I don't think Aussies care deeply about T20 cricket like they do in other countries. People east of Western Australia don't really care about who wins the BBL that much. Maybe Sixers fans give a genuine s**t about winning the BBL, but it's mainly Scorchers fans who are fanatical about the Big Bash and their team's success.

Can only speak for a Victorian view, but the two sides don't represent anything so why would I care? I took a look at the Renegades squad and maybe four players are from Victoria in any given game. What is there to support? What is there to win that means anything?
 

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The Sydney Thunder get decent crowds don't they?
nah. Neither Sydney team do, for a city of that size.

I agree with the Melbourne Green and Red discussion. They nearly had something going with the 2 a couple of years ago with Warnie and Eddie. But now they are owned by the same organisation.

i hate using this word, but they are all franchises. They don't have that club culture.
 
Can only speak for a Victorian view, but the two sides don't represent anything so why would I care? I took a look at the Renegades squad and maybe four players are from Victoria in any given game. What is there to support? What is there to win that means anything?

When the Lions lost the AFL grand final, I was shattered and felt horrible about it for a few days. When the Brisbane Heat men's and women's sides lost their respective finals, I was disappointed for about 10 minutes and that was it. I sat in the Matthew Hayden stand at Allan Border field for the Heat vs Renegades match in the WBBL, saw the Heat lose by 2-3 runs and walked out not really caring about the result.
 
nah. Neither Sydney team do, for a city of that size.

I agree with the Melbourne Green and Red discussion. They nearly had something going with the 2 a couple of years ago with Warnie and Eddie. But now they are owned by the same organisation.

i hate using this word, but they are all franchises. They don't have that club culture.

With Eddie as president and many of the superstars they had playing for them, including Warnie, the Stars were the glamour side of the comp, the side I certainly enjoyed seeing fail. Watching them play really well for much of the season and then seeing them fall short of winning the BBL was always a fascinating storyline to follow. Now that they suck, there's just nothing about them whatsoever. I feel nothing watching them play like spuds.
 
When the Lions lost the AFL grand final, I was shattered and felt horrible about it for a few days. When the Brisbane Heat men's and women's sides lost their respective finals, I was disappointed for about 10 minutes and that was it. I sat in the Matthew Hayden stand at Allan Border field for the Heat vs Renegades match in the WBBL, saw the Heat lose by 2-3 runs and walked out not really caring about the result.
Curious whether you reckon that feeling would be any different if it was a state vs state situation? I.e. would you be any more disappointed or upset if it was Queensland losing a final to NSW?

Mostly gut feeling, but I do get the sense that this would make a pretty big difference to the care factor in Sydney and Melbourne. People that don’t care either way about the Stars or Renegades would likely get more emotionally invested in a Victorian Bushrangers side that was competing in a state vs state BBL.
 
When the Lions lost the AFL grand final, I was shattered and felt horrible about it for a few days. When the Brisbane Heat men's and women's sides lost their respective finals, I was disappointed for about 10 minutes and that was it. I sat in the Matthew Hayden stand at Allan Border field for the Heat vs Renegades match in the WBBL, saw the Heat lose by 2-3 runs and walked out not really caring about the result.
If I'm gonna be honest, I could say the same for Australia losing a Test. Next one rolls around soon enough.

Can tell you, I'd have been way more gutted if Perth lost the BBL final last year than if Australia lost any ODI other than the World Cup final for the entire year (probably more than the WC actually, cause I expected Perth to win going in and Australia to lose :tearsofjoy: )
 
Curious whether you reckon that feeling would be any different if it was a state vs state situation? I.e. would you be any more disappointed or upset if it was Queensland losing a final to NSW?

Mostly gut feeling, but I do get the sense that this would make a pretty big difference to the care factor in Sydney and Melbourne. People that don’t care either way about the Stars or Renegades would likely get more emotionally invested in a Victorian Bushrangers side that was competing in a state vs state BBL.
Maxwell playing next Saturday,will be interesting to see what the crowd will be but a bad time for cricket being 2 days before xmas.TV following might be high but personally would rather be state against state with a couple of overseas players for each state but as I have mentioned before not a great fan of T20.
 
I think the Big Bash is actually a fairly good competition for what it is. There is far too much negativity around it.

We will get close to 20,000 at Adelaide Oval tonight. Other sports outside of the AFL would dream of that.

I think like Soccer and Basketball the sport of Cricket is moving towards a club based sport with small International windows. Players will be released by clubs for International Cricket as per ICC requirements. I think we won't see many series longer than three tests.

The BBL in comparison to the IPL will be a second rate comp, no different to what the NBL is to the NBA. It should still be considered a good comp though, it just has to find its place.
 

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I think the Big Bash is actually a fairly good competition for what it is. There is far too much negativity around it.

We will get close to 20,000 at Adelaide Oval tonight. Other sports outside of the AFL would dream of that.

I think like Soccer and Basketball the sport of Cricket is moving towards a club based sport with small International windows. Players will be released by clubs for International Cricket as per ICC requirements. I think we won't see many series longer than three tests.

The BBL in comparison to the IPL will be a second rate comp, no different to what the NBL is to the NBA. It should still be considered a good comp though, it just has to find its place.
You make some good points.

We compare it to what it was at its peak, and that peak was so much bigger than anyone had dreamt of I recon.

Kids still like it, they seem to know all the players etc even if I don't.
 
Remember 2022 when the AFL had poor crowds/ratings and people were saying it was dead? They had their best crowds in years in 2023.

Most of the Chicken Littles saying the sky is falling on here are people who have a track record of hating T20 and are happy to dance on its grave, yet last season had the best ratings in years. Apparently if they don't watch it, it must be dead.

FWIW I think they made a mistake cutting the amount of games in a season and it will hurt their bottom line, even if their revenue per game goes up a bit. With no Kyrgios or Barty at the Australian Open they'll be kicking themselves that they did.
 
Not so much bandwagon as success breeds success. The Scorchers and Sixers generally pull good crowds because they are always contending. But once you really have the fans on board, they'll sit through a couple of poorer seasons.
Scorchers and Sixers seem to have really built a brand, or at least something their supporters can recognise, seem to have kept the same few players too, no surprises they're successful teams that draw crowds.
 
One of my recent issues is that it seems like the lists are very similar year on year. Would be great to see teams required to blood 2 players under 22 or that meet certain criteria.
 
With Eddie as president and many of the superstars they had playing for them, including Warnie, the Stars were the glamour side of the comp, the side I certainly enjoyed seeing fail. Watching them play really well for much of the season and then seeing them fall short of winning the BBL was always a fascinating storyline to follow. Now that they suck, there's just nothing about them whatsoever. I feel nothing watching them play like spuds.
Yeah with Eddie in charge there was definitely a Stars = Collingwood (big powerful arrogant club) and Renegades = North/Doggies/Saints (plucky underdog) mentality that did drive some interest.

Now there's not much there. No real geographical, cultural, or "love to hate" divide.
 
Yeah with Eddie in charge there was definitely a Stars = Collingwood (big powerful arrogant club) and Renegades = North/Doggies/Saints (plucky underdog with an inferiority complex) mentality that did drive some interest.

Now there's not much there. No real geographical, cultural, or "love to hate" divide.
FTFY.
 
One of my recent issues is that it seems like the lists are very similar year on year. Would be great to see teams required to blood 2 players under 22 or that meet certain criteria.
Has the BCCI directed that no Indian players play in the BBL?

There doesn't appear to be even B graders plying their trade let alone the big name Indian players
 
Has the BCCI directed that no Indian players play in the BBL?

There doesn't appear to be even B graders plying their trade let alone the big name Indian players
No Indian players that are currently signed with domestic sides.
Suresh Raina complained a few years ago, stating that he was no chance to make it into the Indian squad so allow him to make money else where playing.
And then Ambati Rayudu quit the system last year to join Major League Cricket, but since then the BCCI are trying to being in a point that players need to be out of the system for a year before joining other leagues.
If you do want to see Indian players, there are a few expats in the MLC, alternatively there is the few T10 leagues and the Legends League Cricket and Road Safety World Series that features retired players like Harbhajan, the Pathan brothers, Sehwag, etc.
 
No Indian players that are currently signed with domestic sides.
Suresh Raina complained a few years ago, stating that he was no chance to make it into the Indian squad so allow him to make money else where playing.
And then Ambati Rayudu quit the system last year to join Major League Cricket, but since then the BCCI are trying to being in a point that players need to be out of the system for a year before joining other leagues.
If you do want to see Indian players, there are a few expats in the MLC, alternatively there is the few T10 leagues and the Legends League Cricket and Road Safety World Series that features retired players like Harbhajan, the Pathan brothers, Sehwag, etc.
It's amazing they are restraining trade like that the BCCI.
 
It's amazing they are restraining trade like that the BCCI.
It's also crazy. All the best players in the world are basically used to Indian conditions now due to the IPL.
 
The logic it would appear is to make the IPL the premier event, but second and third string players who wouldn't get a shot at it seemingly the ones to pay the price
I think we will see what happens with the SA20 and the MLC, ad they are the two leagues that are heavily owned by the IPL and the rupees that come with it, as to whether they are able to become 2nd and 3rd respectively
In the recent auction for the SA20, the highest value player went for 1.6mil Rand, which equates to 1.29mil AUD. So there will soon be another place that could have players earning similar cash.

There are also a lot of first string players that are not able to get into the starting XI for this side or even get selected. Australian keepers Alex Carey and Josh Inglis can't get into the IPL, and it's left to Matt Wade to represent the Australian Wicket Keepers
And in doing the Best XIs after the IPL auction last night, I don't have Travis Head or Adam Zampa in the Best XIs.
 
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Fall and Fall of Big Bash

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