BBL 2023-24 Will Feature 44 Matches Coming Summer

Cricket Australia has been under criticism by cricket fans and many ex-cricketers from Australia that the tournament is too long and doesn’t hold the interest of cricket fans in Australia for every game. BBL 2017-18 era used to have a similar number of matches. That era was considered the ultimate prime period with good viewership, and many Australian International stars were available to play most of the tournament. Keeping in view the feedback CA was getting from cricket lovers they finally decided to take the reverse gear and go back to the 2017-18 time period interms of the BBL tournament schedule. 

BBL 2023-24 Changes

The cricket board of Australia has signed a lucrative broadcasting deal in which it was decided that it is in the best interest of the Big Bash League that the tournament should be shortened from the regular 56 group matches to only 40. At the same time, the remaining four games will be played in the play-offs stage just like other popular T20 leagues namely Indian Premier League & Pakistan Super League. 

In the BBL 2023-24 Finals, there will be only four teams instead of the regular five while the official finals format is yet to be formally announced but as said earlier it will be in the similar format we used to see in other T20 leagues in the circuit. 

BBL 2023-24 Dates

The Australian Cricket Board while finalizing this new set up wanted the whole tournament to be played during the Christmas school holidays to encourage houseful crowds and the biggest viewership which can now happen due to shortened version of the tournament. A much smaller tournament will help marquee, overseas players, to play the majority of the tournament as well as to ensure Australia’s white-ball superstars like Steve Smith, David Warner, Glenn Maxwell, Pat Cummins, and more can play the entire tournament or atleast 80% of the matches. 

CA will reveal the official starting dates for BBL 2023-24 in the coming months but we now know that it will be during the Christmas holiday times. 

PayScale Increase For Overseas Players

The BBL management and CA have given an indication to the clubs to pay up to $110,000 to the best overseas players in the coming summer which will ensure signing the top lot of International Cricketers to play in the BBL 2023-24. 

Re-Signing Off Contract Players

Clubs are given a green light to re-sign off-contract players from next week to shape their BBL 2023-24 squads before the rival clubs make an offer to the players from the 22nd of May 2023. 

Draft Order Picks Trade

For the first time, CA has allowed clubs to enter into player-trade deals by switching the draft order picks. This process we have seen in the Pakistan Super League for a few years where franchises offer some player trades and in exchange they switch the pick order in the order for different player categories available. 

WBBL 2023-24 Format

All the above changes will only apply to BBL Men’s tournament while the Women’s BBL 2023-24 will continue to be the 59-game tournament as CA got the feedback from domestic Women Cricketers who preferred to play a full 14-game regular season which is played in the peak summer times in Australia.