The Women’s Big Bash League (WBBL) may have trouble attracting elite international players as it approaches its tenth season. A week before the WBBL begins, the T20 World Cup in Bangladesh comes to an end, which might put foreign players under pressure to decide whether or not to compete.
The WBBL has long been a top venue for women’s cricket, drawing some of the biggest names in the league. But player availability is under pressure due to the world cricket schedule getting increasingly full. Nat Sciver Brunt, an English player who was a late addition to the Perth Scorchers roster the previous season, has already said she will not be playing this season. Cricket Australia is nevertheless upbeat about the tournament’s appeal in spite of these obstacles. The head of the BBL, Alistair Dobson, voiced confidence in the league’s capacity to draw elite players.
“Clubs are currently putting a lot of effort into securing players and agents on the market. Naturally, athletes in the women’s game have extremely hectic schedules around that time of year, especially this year, Dobson told ESPNcricinfo.
“We are excited about the players who have signed and think over the next month or two we’ll get a sense from players as to how they are preparing for the World Cup and their appetite to come quickly to Australia, whether that’s at the start of our competition, or perhaps a couple of games in which is certainly possible as well,” he said.
At the Gabba, we’ve added a major game: Alistair Dobson
In order to adjust to the changing climate, the WBBL has implemented strategic modifications. To ease player workloads, the regular season has been reduced to 40 games, plus three finals. The competition has also increased the number of stadium series it hosts, bringing games to renowned locations like the MCG, SCG, and Gabba. The objective of this action is to leverage the increase in attendance observed in leagues such as the Women’s Premier League in India and The Hundred in England.
“We learned a lot from that, and we added a historic game at the Gabba: Brisbane Heat. We’re bringing them in about a week early than we did last year, so there’s a greater chance that the games will be live, and we’ll be concentrating a lot on how we market them,” Dobson said.
In an effort to raise the standard of both play and officiating, the WBBL is implementing technology upgrades. In order to address concerns expressed last season regarding the variable availability of TV umpires, every match will now feature a third umpire for line calls. Plans exist to expand the selection of games that utilise the Decision Review System (DRS).
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