Sky's the limit for home-grown BBL

Australia’s most prolific international batsman believes there is scope for the hugely successful KFC Big Bash League to attract even more fans if a means can be found to increase the involvement of the nation’s home-grown Test stars.

Ricky Ponting, who has been a feature of Ten Sport’s television coverage of the BBL for the past two seasons, has rated the most recent competition won by the Perth Scorchers in a last-ball thriller on Wednesday evening as the best to date.

The Scorchers and the Sixers put on a show at Manuka Oval

In addition to continued strong television ratings, BBL|04 saw match attendances increase by almost 23 per cent of last year’s regular season averages with the high water mark being the record 52,633 who turned out to watch last weekend’s semi-final at the Adelaide Oval.

Ponting, who took part in the first-ever T20 international against New Zealand at Auckland’s Eden Park 10 years ago, said the tournament had established itself as a highly prized event among the international playing fraternity.

“The fact that we (Australia) have been able to attract the crowds that we have – almost 53,000 to a semi-final in Adelaide the other night is quite remarkable,” Ponting said this week.

“And the fact that we can attract guys like (England’s Andrew) Flintoff and (Kevin) Pietersen and (South Africa’s Jacques) Kallis and (West Indies’) Kieron Pollard to come and play in our domestic tournament is great for the event.

Andrew Flintoff was in fine voice for the Heat in BBL|04

“Then next year if we happen to get our Test guys available for a bit more of the time to add a bit more to the tournament then it just keeps going from strength to strength.

“Everyone you bump into just wants to talk about how good the product has been.

“That’s not what we’re doing in the commentary box, that’s the level of cricket that’s being played and how much enjoyment people are getting from turning up at the ground and watching some of the best athletes in the world go around for three hours.

“And it’s an entertaining game so I don’t see any reason why it (support) would drop off.

“If we can get some of our Australian superstar players back into their franchises and playing a bit more then I think even more people will turn up.”

The BBL is purpose programmed for the Australian summer school holiday break fits with its mission to provide an accessible, family-friendly entertainment package.

However, because that window also coincides with the traditional Test matches across the Christmas-New Year period and other international fixtures scheduled either side of those marquee events it has become almost impossible for Australia’s international representatives to be involved.

For example Australia’s Test, ODI and T20 international opener David Warner – who made his name in the 20-over format at domestic level before becoming a fixture in national teams – has played just three BBL matches since the competition was launched four years ago.

David Warner has impressed in his rare BBL appearances

Australia’s Test and ODI captain Michael Clarke has yet to make a BBL appearance, while reigning ICC Cricketer of the Year Mitchell Johnson’s most recent domestic T20 appearance was more than eight years ago when he was still representing Queensland.

But while the biggest names in Australian cricket might be required elsewhere at the height of the local season, Ponting also believes part of the BBL’s growing appeal is the rising profile it affords  previously little-heard-of players.

Last season it was big-hitting Perth Scorchers opener Craig Simmons who accepted a lucrative deal with the Adelaide Strikers for BBL|04, while there were a couple of emerging players who caught the eye of Ponting and other shrewd judges over recent weeks.

“As far as individual surprises, (the Scorchers’) AJ Tye has been awesome and (Sydney Sixers’) Jordan Silk has been one of the finds of the tournament.

“But it was no surprise to see Perth back in the Final again.”

As for his personal highlights of the competition, Ponting  nominated Peter Handscomb’s last-ball century that carried the Stars past the Scorchers and into the semi-finals, as well as Scorchers’ opener Michael Klinger’s Boxing Day hundred in Perth.

“And some of the boundary catching has been awesome – Jordan Silk’s outfield catch at the SCG the other night was brilliant.

“And AJ Tye with 4-15 in the semi-final game over (in Perth).

Tye proved the hero for the Scorchers in the BBL|04 final

“There’s been a number of great individual performances, and with this being such an impact game players have got to realise that if they bowl an over and it’s not their best they’ve always got another two or three overs to get themselves back into the game.

“It’s just getting bigger and bigger, and the players are adapting their skills better and better.

“Some of the batting skills we’ve seen, but certainly for the first part of the tournament this year we saw the bowlers dominate a lot more and ball dominated bat.

“So that goes to show that the bowlers are starting to catch up with their skills and how they execute and how they think in this format of the game.

“There hasn’t been a lot of really high scoring games but there’s certainly been a lot of close encounters through this tournament.”

Ponting also admits to settling comfortably into the role of armchair expert as part of the Ten commentary team along with former teammates Adam Gilchrist, Mark Waugh and Damien Fleming as well as cameo appearances from overseas drawcards Flintoff and Pietersen.

“The transition from being a player to sitting back in the commentary box has been good,” Ponting said.

“I think I’ve got a lot to add as far as the tactical side and talking through different things that happen on the field.”

“To sit in the commentary box with a few mates and talk about it this year has been a lot of fun.”