Last Updated on 5 years by Charbel Coorey
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Bonus points, free hits for wides and a draft for overseas players are among the major changes that we could see in the upcoming Big Bash League season.
These, among other proposed changes, come at a time where the BBL is set to persist with a 61-game season (56 regular-season, five finals), despite the fact that BBL 09 was widely criticised for being too long.
The main reason for this is that the BBL’s organisers are concerned about the broadcasters – namely Fox Sports and Seven – requesting a discount on the current broadcasting deal should the season be reduced. Currently, the extended BBL season makes up about half of the mammoth $1.2 billion broadcast deal landed by Cricket Australia in 2018.
Also read: CA has broken the BBL. 5 ways to fix it

Proposed Changes
The BBL’s managers, including tournament head Alistair Dobson and CA’s executive in charge of events, Anthony Everard, have reportedly proposed some radical changes to on-field play in an attempt to boost the BBL’s attractiveness.
The following tweaks to playing conditions will be discussed in a meeting in July:
- Free hits for wides, in addition to no balls.
- Bonus points awarded to teams depending on their progress at the 10-over mark of their innings.
- Teams can make tactical substitutions at the 10-over mark, should they wish.
- Split powerplay: Four overs at the start, then two overs later in the innings.
- Extra breaks for advertisements and player strategy. This could be every five overs.
- A draft for overseas players.
Immediate reaction
Melbourne Renegades and Australian pace bowler Kane Richardson has voiced his concerns about the changes. He fears that some of the proposed rules will further disadvantage bowlers, which won’t necessarily improve the quality of cricket.
“I think I saw free hits if you bowl a wide, which I’m obviously not that keen on because we get that wrong occasionally so don’t think we should be punished that harshly”, Richardson said.
Also, Richardson pointed to the quality of the pitches as a key factor.
“The quality of pitches is something that’s maybe lacked in the last couple of years and they started to get that right last year.
“As long as the skill and the runs are there then think anyone will be happy.”
However, Richardson was in support of bonus points, as “it would make the ladder more interesting towards the backend of the tournament.”

Risks
- More breaks will make the games drag on longer; not ideal given that the season ends after school begins.
- Bowlers will be significantly disadvantaged, particularly around tight wide calls.
- Tactical substitutions will change the game too much.
These proposed changes come soon after Australia confirmed their schedule for the Test season, including a blockbuster series against India.