Brendon McCullum suggests greater New Zealand involvement in this year’s BBL


Brendon McCullum has suggested greater New Zealand involvement in the Big Bash League later this year whether international cricket or the availability of in another country players remains restricted by the Covid-19 pandemic.

There are positive signs that the Australian season could have the ability to take shape fairly as scheduled – there even remains hope that the T20 World Cup could be played in October – with each and every effort being made to enable to the lucrative series against India to continue to exist. Cricket Australia has started conversations with the federal government approximately what protocols would wish to be in place to allow international teams to visit later in the year.

While there remain a lot of hurdles to cross before fully-fledged international sport can take place there has already been progress in links between Australia and New Zealand resuming with the Warriors rugby team arriving in Tamworth, New South Wales, at the weekend to prepare for the resumption of the NRL later this month and there are talks at government level approximately a trip “bubble” between the two countries.

“Whether there’s a scarcity of international cricket what an possibility for the Big Bash, which whether we are being sincere has probably just tailed off a little bit of late, what a great possibility to in point of fact morph that back into Australia sporting fans’ eyes,” McCullum, who had eight seasons with the Brisbane Heat, told SEN radio. “And I think what a great possibility to perhaps bring a New Zealand team into the Big Bash or use New Zealand players as native players because there could also be a distinct lack of in another country players.

“A little bit of creative thinking. It can be just for one season but we need to prepare for the long-term whether you’ll grow the game there could also be some value.”

Then again, whether New Zealand’s international players don’t seem to be playing in December and January – they’re because of have a visit by Pakistan – NZC would likely see it as a chance to have them to be had for the T20 Super Smash which in most cases runs similtaneously with the first a part of the Big Bash from mid-December.

Probably the most contingency plans in place will have to next season be disrupted is the opportunity of Australia and New Zealand to play every other whether movement between those two countries is more feasible than broader international trip. There remain two ODIs to play from the curtailed series in March plus three T20Is that were because of be hosted in New Zealand.

The Big Bash will mark its 10th anniversary in the 2020-21 season and before the pandemic had commissioned a review by David Barham, the television executive who was once central to the BBL’s rise while at Channel 10, into what could be done to revitalise the competition. The most intriguing suggestion out of the review was once the prospect of four-innings T20 matches in an attempt to verify contests are alive for longer.


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