The 10th edition of the Big Bash League will start in the shadows of the first Test between Australia and India in December, feature more prime-time matches and conclude on 6 February.
The BBL will begin on 3 December with a clash at Adelaide Oval starting shortly after stumps on day one of the Test series opener in Brisbane. Cricket Australia also revealed on Wednesday that the WBBL season will run from 17 October until 29 November.
CA will keep the theme running throughout the summer: a day’s play between Tim Paine and Virat Kohli’s respective teams will be followed by a BBL game throughout the first, third and fourth Tests. There will be no BBL fixtures during the second Test, a day-night clash scheduled for 11-15 December.
There are no changes to the length of the season in terms of matches, with CA keen to deliver what is stipulated in its $1.2bn rights deal with the Seven Network and Foxtel. However, the governing body has tinkered with start times and stretched the BBL window as it seeks to appease broadcasters and fans.
There are notably fewer afternoon starts in the BBL, and no games scheduled in Alice Springs or the Victorian town of Moe.
Both the BBL and WBBL schedules may potentially have to change, depending on the state of the Covid-19 pandemic. The governing body is mapping out a range of contingency plans, having already included a three-week hub in the middle of the WBBL season.
“While we know that the challenging, fast-changing coronavirus pandemic could ultimately mean revisions to the schedule, there is nonetheless a lot to like about the way both competitions are shaping up,” Alistair Dobson, head of the BBL, said.
“There are factors outside the league itself which could impact the fixture at a later date. That said, at this time, we are happy with the fixture as it stands.
“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.”
CA is yet to finalise rule changes, with the most notable shift likely to be a player draft for international signings. A total of 26 WBBL games will be broadcast live on Seven and Fox Sports, three more than last season.