Last Updated on 5 years by Charbel Coorey
The sixth edition of the Women’s Big Bash League (WBBL) will kick off on October 25. However, the entire tournament will be played in Sydney, due to COVID-19.
A number of states in Australia have travel and border restrictions in place to reduce the spread of COVID-19. Also, Victoria is a no-go zone, as the state is currently in stage four lockdown after a huge spike in cases and deaths over the past couple of months. So, to ensure the tournament can go ahead as smoothly as possible, all 59 games will be held in a Sydney hub.
Alastair Dobson, the head of both the men’s and women’s BBL tournaments, thanked the New South Wales (NSW) Government for their support. He also said that work was underway to organise for overseas players to arrive in Australia and participate in the tournament, in a year where Australia hosted a successful Women’s T20 World Cup.
“We want to thank the NSW Government for their willingness to work together to deliver the WBBL|06 competition in Sydney,” Dobson said.
“We are incredibly proud to deliver a full season of rebel WBBL|06 and would like to thank the NSW Government, our partners States & Territories Associations, the Australian Cricketers’ Association as well as – in particular Cricket NSW – for rallying together at this challenging time to deliver a safe and successful tournament.
“We can achieve great things together and the spirit of cooperation has been truly uplifting. Thanks must also go to our broadcasters, partners, players and staff for their outstanding support as we navigate what has been a challenging period.”
The WBBL will form a key part of the Australian women’s season, which is to begin with the national team taking on New Zealand in three T20Is and three ODIs starting later this month. These matches will be the first instances of international sport taking place in Australia since March.
“The ICC Women’s World Cup Final will forever be an iconic moment in our game’s history, and we are committed to carrying that momentum into the season ahead,” Dobson said. “The likes of Meg Lanning, Alyssa Healy, Ellyse Perry, Megan Schutt and Beth Mooney have become household names in Australia and it will be brilliant watching them showcasing their talent and skills for their respective clubs this summer.”
Brisbane Heat are the current WBBL defending champions, and will be looking for another strong season.
