Cricket Australia (CA) confirmed the schedule for the entire 2020-21 edition of the Big Bash League (BBL) on Wednesday (July 15). However, the board did admit it might change as per the situation amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
If it all goes according to plan, the 10th edition of the men's BBL will kickstart on December 3 when the Adelaide Strikers host the Melbourne Renegades, followed by 60 other matches and the tournament final on February 6, in what is set to be the longest season in the league's history.
Read Also: Cricket Australia, players mutually agree on postponement of revenue projection
The men's version will follow the Women's Big Bash League (WBBL), due to be played between October 17 and November 29. The fixture list has been announced quite optimistically by the CA in hope that the board will be able to meet its broadcasting agreement and not face penalties for a reduced number of matches, as was feared in wake of the deadly outbreak.
Currently, however, interstate travel in Australia is restricted, with Melbourne and Sydney experiencing a new spike in the number of Coronavirus positive cases.
"Scheduling in the time of coronavirus is not without its challenges, as we have seen in elite sporting conditions at home and abroad, and there are factors outside the League itself which could impact the fixture at a later date," said CA's BBL chief Alistair Dobson in a media release.
“That said, at this time, we are happy with the fixture as it stands and excited to celebrate a decade of Big Bash with Australian fans during the summer.
“It should ensure that more BBL matches are played in prime time and enable the regular season to again finish inside the school holidays which was a key objective, particularly in light of the busy international schedule planned for the coming summer," Dobson added.
“We will also be making more announcements in due course about enhancements to the League that we are confident will excite and delight fans across the country."
CA is also hoping for the domestic Sheffield Shield and the international summer to go ahead as planned, especially the lucrative Test series against India.
A decision is awaited from the ICC whether the T20 World Cup, scheduled from October 18 to November 15 in Australia, will be shifted to another year within the existing FTP or not.
