Cricket Australia is reportedly set to move the one-day internationals to this afternoon’s time slot in a desperate attempt to breathe a sigh of relief in the ailing Big Bash League.
The Sydney Morning Herald reports that the day-night ODIs are over, with matches against South Africa scheduled for this summer, so they are due to play BBL matches that evening.
Peter Roach, CA’s head of scheduling, called it a “creative schedule” but it signaled the end of another long-running summer organization, at least for now.
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Interest in the BBL, including television ratings, has dropped significantly since the 2018-19 season, when the competition expanded to full home and away schedules.
CA is desperate to revive BBL’s fortunes in a timely manner for a new broadcast deal, which will be for the 2024-25 season.
Playing Australia’s international stars in the BBL remains a challenge due to the overlap between the T20 competition and national team commitments.
Perhaps even more worrying is the possibility of being flagged off by the Sydney Morning Herald last week, with former Brisbane Heat captain Chris Lynn choosing to play in the UAE T10 League if he can’t find a BBL club willing to meet his salary demands.
This summer’s schedule is expected to be published in the next fortnight.
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