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In an attempt to retain international players for the
finals series, Cricket Australia will confer with BBL clubs regarding possible
modifications to contracting regulations.
This summer, the BBL celebrated a comeback, with a 27%
rise in average attendance to go along with a shortened home-and-away season.
For the first time since 2017–18, there were more than 40,000 spectators at
five games, and the Melbourne Renegades witnessed a 63% rise in average
attendance.
Officials are aware that obstacles still exist. After
the penultimate week of competition, six international players left for the
prestigious ILT20 in the United Arab Emirates, meaning they will not be
competing in the finals. Laurie Evans of the Perth Scorchers, Sam Billings and
Colin Munro of the Brisbane Heat, James Vince of the Sydney Sixers, and Jamie
Overton and Adam Hose of the Adelaide Strikers will not be present.
Clubs knew about the players’ availability at the time
of the draft, and it was difficult to turn down the enormous sums of money
offered by UAE clubs that were frequently owned by the players’ IPL franchises.
Given the resounding feedback from players that they would prefer to stay,
officials aim to find a solution for upcoming seasons and championship series.
After the embargo period ends following Wednesday’s
final, it is anticipated that contractual issues will come up during
end-of-season negotiations. More security for foreign players outside of the
draft is one proposal put forth by Billings, who also suggested multi-year
contracts as a way to provide more assurance when negotiating arrival dates
with other leagues.
“We have seen this year the role overseas players
continue to play in the BBL,” BBL boss Alistair Dobson told AAP.
“They have been great performers on the field, they are fan favourites and
the broadcasters love them.
“However, we need to continue to evolve our
competition and make our competition appealing to the players to come and play
in the BBL. And ideally, [to] have them play as many games as possible has been
and will continue to be a clear focus for us.”