Sydney Thunder’s English opener Alex Hales is assured a shortened Massive Bash season will encourage extra worldwide stars to journey for future competitions as a stack of abroad gamers put together to go away Australia for different leagues.
Hales has yet one more match for the Thunder earlier than he joins the UAE T20 League, with different BBL headliners together with Faf du Plessis, Sam Billings and Rashid Khan additionally set to go away within the coming days in the event that they haven’t already carried out so.
It’s a blow to the BBL given the finals begin in a number of weeks, however it’s a difficulty that might not be repeated with Cricket Australia’s new broadcast deal together with an enormous change to the competitors that can see the season diminished from 61 video games to 43, probably taking two weeks off the six-week lengthy event.
Whereas the brand new broadcast deal doesn’t begin till 2024, that change may very well be applied as quickly as subsequent season and could have a huge effect on the competitors with worldwide stars set to be extra inclined to play in a shorter season.
This yr’s competitors began on December 13 and received’t end till the ultimate on February 4, making it one of many longest tournaments on the earth for each gamers and followers.
A stack of stars, together with these taken within the inaugural BBL draft, both pulled out of the event or signed on for a handful of video games as a result of they couldn’t decide to a whole marketing campaign as a result of packed schedule.
Hales stated the upcoming BBL adjustments would encourage the world’s greatest T20 gamers to return to Australia.
“I really like taking part in right here for a few months as a result of there isn’t a higher place to play cricket for a protracted time period,” the Englishman instructed the NCA NewsWire as he prepares for the Sydney Smash on Sunday.
“However with all the cash within the shorter comps in different international locations, it’s too arduous for gamers to commit for such a protracted time period.
“I feel it positively makes it simpler now. There are such a lot of comps around the globe from December by to March so it turns into critically cramped and congested with all these totally different competitions that final between three and 5 weeks.
“Lowering the video games would positively assist worldwide gamers decide to the BBL.
“I’d actually like to play the entire event and it feels a bit unusual leaving Australia midway by.
“Sadly, nothing might be carried out about it this yr, however wanting ahead to future years, I need to play the entire thing and I feel lowering the video games will certainly assist abroad gamers to commit.”
The Thunder are flying excessive and ordinarily could be in a world of damage with Hales and Rilee Rossouw about to go away, however they’ve a not so secret trump card about to reach who may catapult them into title favouritism.
Aussie opener David Warner is about to finish a nine-year absence from the BBL after he signed a mega deal that can see him be a part of the Thunder after the Sydney Check wraps up on January 8.
“I’ve by no means performed in the identical workforce as him so it’s an actual disgrace that I’m not going to get to play with him. He’s top-of-the-line cricketers on the earth throughout all three codecs so it’s an actual disgrace that we received’t play this yr,” Hales stated.
“It’s a pleasant feeling realizing that we’ve bought a man with such world-class capacity coming in to interchange me.
“The fellows are actually excited as a result of it’s not typically that the large Australian stars get an opportunity to play within the Massive Bash, so it’ll be nice for the Thunder to have somebody of that calibre for the backend of the event.”
