Cricket officials are discussing the introduction of major rule changes and innovations for next season’s Big Bash that could entice Australia’s Test stars and international T20 guns for hire to participate more in the tournament.
High-level discussions have taken place in Cricket Australia about significant rule changes for BBL15, including a left-field proposal for double play run-outs, where two batsmen could be dismissed in the same delivery.
Multiple cricket sources, speaking on the condition of anonymity in order to speak freely, have confirmed rule-change proposals are being workshopped behind closed doors and are being seriously considered for next summer.
While there has not yet been any official consultation with stakeholders, the country’s sharpest cricket minds are already looking at ways to improve the BBL after what has been another successful season so far.
Fundamentally, CA is eager for higher scores and closer games and believes there are ways to make matches quicker and improve the quality of the competition by reducing the workload on the sport’s biggest names.
Ideas from baseball and the UK’s revolutionary short-format tournament The Hundred are being considered in a bid to add extra layers of interest to games. CA also wants to ensure that players stay fresh to ensure they can perform at their brilliant best.
David Warner of the Sydney Thunder and Moises Henriques of the Sydney Sixers. Credit: Getty Images
All rules will be thoroughly analysed and robustly debated before being given the green light. Sign-off on any innovations would most likely happen in July or August after going to a Playing Conditions Advisory Committee.
One of Australian cricket’s brightest minds, Sixers star Jordan Silk, has also offered his initial views on some of the rules being discussed ahead of his side’s finals match against the Thunder on Friday night at the SCG.
‘DH’: A designated hitter
Each team could nominate one player in their XI who just bats and doesn’t have to field. For example, the Sixers might feel that to get the most out of Steve Smith, it is better that he simply concentrates on his batting rather than expend ing energy in the field.
When Smith made an unbeaten 121 against the Perth Scorchers earlier this month, he looked fatigued. However, he still had to field for 20 overs.
Teams would nominate a specialist fielder to give the “designated hitter” a break. England’s Gary Pratt famously ran out Ricky Ponting during the 2005 Ashes series after he was handpicked as a superb sub-fielder. It would be a similar concept.
Franchises might, in turn, decide to offer full contracts to fielders if they felt it would give them an advantage. Designated hitters could also commentate for broadcasters when their team was in the field.
The feeling is that while fans want to see exciting moments in the field, they don’t go to games simply to watch batsmen field. They would rather watch a fresh Chris Lynn bat than a fatigued Chris Lynn bat.
Some players, like Silk, chalk up more than 10 kilometres in a BBL game. Limiting the time a star batsman spends on their feet could improve their hitting ability, even by a few per cent.
Chris Lynn in action for the Adelaide Strikers. Credit: Getty Images
Test stars Usman Khawaja and Marnus Labuschagne played just one regular season match for the Brisbane Heat this season. If this rule got them playing more BBL, CA would view that as a win.
Meanwhile, some of the game’s biggest names from overseas have said they would be more open to playing in the BBL if not fielding was an option. Such a rule could have also extended BBL careers for known hitters, such as Shaun Marsh and Aaron Finch.
Such a rule could also be considered for bowlers, although it is less likely to get the go-ahead. But the benefits are clear – if Pat Cummins, for example, could bowl his four overs and not have to field, it would help CA manage his workloads, meaning he could be more available for the BBL in between his international duties.
Silk said: “I’m a bit more of a traditionalist in picking your best 11 and finding your all-rounders. Does it lean too heavily into a batter-friendly game like we’ve seen in the IPL? Selfishly, though, if they just need specialist fielders, I’d probably get a gig for longer.”
Bowling back-to-back overs from the same end and optional 12-ball overs
In The Hundred, teams bowl 10 balls (two consecutive five-ball overs) from each end, for a total of 100 deliveries.
One rule change being considered in the BBL is having half the number of end changes. Teams would bowl 12 balls from one end and then swap ends.
Captains could also choose to let one bowler send down 12 balls in a row over two consecutive overs. They would still be allowed to bowl only 24 balls in the match, as per current rules, so the change wouldn’t affect the fabric of the game.
The move is designed to speed the game up and reduce the distance players need to run between overs. If it keeps fielders fresher for longer, they might be more likely to pull off a brilliant catch or orchestrate a tight run-out.
However, arrangements would need to be made with broadcasters given there would be half the windows to show advertisements. Analysis is expected to show it will speed matches up. T20 matches used to be played in under three hours but due to video reviews and other factors, some matches have drifted out to longer than 3.5 hours.
This would be the most likely rule to be approved, provided all stakeholders were happy. Captains would not have to set their fields as often and 12th men would be on the field less often running out drinks or gloves to batsmen.
“We went through this with The Hundred,” said Trent Woodhill, Cricket Australia’s high-performance consultant for the WBBL and BBL, who is also Kane Williamson and Pat Cummins’ personal batting coach. “The penny drops when people realise what T20 cricket really is. Fielding isn’t running between overs or running into position at high speed. It’s all the other stuff that Silky does that makes him so bloody good.”
Jordan Silk in the field.Credit: Getty Images
Silk said: “I’m actually probably a bit more pro that. Anything we can to speed things up. I don’t see an issue.”
Asked whether pace bowlers could send down 12 balls in a row, Silk said: “They do it in the nets. It might be a rare occurrence where you’d see it happen.”
Double plays
A double-play run-out, where the bails are taken at both ends of the pitch with two batsmen out of their crease, would be a bold rule change. It would need significant buy-in from players and broadcasters.
Although it might only happen a couple of times in a season, it would be a memorable moment that would be replayed around the world.
The sight of two frustrated batsmen walking off together would also be unique, particularly if one was at fault in the mix-up.
The proposal is that it would just apply to run-outs. Some believe double-plays should apply to a catch and then a run-out, as it can in baseball. Although that appears unlikely to be approved, it would stop batsmen backing up too far.
Steve Smith survives a run out chance against Pakistan. Credit: AP
Teams who are eight wickets down could hypothetically lose two wickets in one delivery and lose a match. That would be a dream for broadcasters.
Silk said: “You’d rarely ever see it. It might happen a few times a year. That’s certainly out there. I don’t love it. I think there’s also a skill in trying to beat your partner to the other end.”
A variation on maidens
This idea has been floated by influential figures and could be embraced by fans.
Could a batsman be given out if a bowler can bowl six consecutive dot balls at them? Or, in a slight variation, should a bowler be given a fifth over if they can send down a maiden?
There is a long way to go before anything gets ticked off but there is definitely an appetite for change to keep the competition strong and bring in the best possible players.
