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BBL 2020: Cricket Australia announces Dec schedule | Cricket Australia announces schedule for December matches in BBL 2020

Cricket Australia announced the December schedule of the upcoming Big Bash League which is about to begin in December. The tournament will be played in Tasmania, Queensland, Canberra, and Adelaide with 56 regular-season games, though the venues will be confirmed until December 31. With border restrictions and biosecurity protocols in place, the eight teams will be based in either Tasmania or Canberra to start the season, with six games to be played at Blundstone Arena in Hobart, two at UTAS Stadium in Launceston, and six at Manuka Oval in Canberra.

As per their official statement, from December 23 to 31, there will also be three matches at the Gabba, two at Metricon Stadium on the Gold Coast and two at the Adelaide Oval – including the traditional New Year’s Eve game. “We are working through scenarios for the 35 regular season matches and finals series to be played in the new year with our partners and government bodies,” Alistair Dobson, Cricket Australia’s Head of Big Bash Leagues, said in a statement.

CA is hoping for some relaxation of border regulations until the first month of 2021, so that they could take games to Perth, Sydney and Melbourne in the New Year. “An announcement on these venues will be made in the coming weeks. This is without doubt the most complex fixturing task ever undertaken by the League and we are excited with where it has landed. It has been a difficult year for so many people around Australia and we look forward to bringing the BBL to every state, should border conditions allow us to”, added Dobson.

Decision on England players playing the BBL is still unfixed as they have expressed that the exhausting bubble life is taking a toll on them. Also, England’s tour to South Africa, ongoing Indian Premier League and Australia’s quarantine rules has put a question on their availability until after Christmas.

Jason Roy, Liam Livingstone (both Perth Scorchers), Tom Banton, Lewis Gregory (both Brisbane Heat), Dawid Malan (Hobart Hurricanes) and Tom Curran (Sydney Sixers) were this week all named in the England squad for their tour of South Africa, which finishes less than 24 hours before the BBL begins. Jonny Bairstow, Sam Billings and Reece Topley, who have all been in talks about BBL stints but have not officially signed, are also in the touring party, as mentioned in their official statement.

Written by Anjali Jha. Follow Anjali on Twitter today.