The Big Bash League (BBL) on Saturday confirmed an adjusted schedule for the week of January 10-16, which includes two of the matches previously postponed.
Additionally, players and support staff from all clubs will primarily be based in Victoria for the remainder of the competition. All will remain under biosecurity protocols, while revised travel arrangements to and from interstate matches will be implemented to reduce their exposure to the wider community.
Changes to the schedule have been made to prioritise the health and safety of all players, match officials, staff, fans, and the wider community. These changes will also provide greater flexibility and operational efficiency for the League and Clubs.
Key details of the revised BBL|11 schedules include:
Eleven matches in seven days from January 10-16 inclusive.
Matches at six venues - Adelaide Oval, Gabba, GMHBA Stadium, Melbourne Cricket Ground, Marvel Stadium, and Sydney Cricket Ground.
The postponed Perth Scorchers v Melbourne Stars match from December 30 to be played on January 11.
The postponed Adelaide Strikers v Melbourne Stars match from December 7 to be played on January 15.
Three doubleheaders in Victoria - January 10 (MCG), 11 (GMHBA Stadium), and 13 (Marvel Stadium).
Two additional double-header matchdays across two venues on January 8 (as previously scheduled) and 15
The League will confirm the schedule for the remainder of the regular season in the coming days.
Alistair Dobson, Cricket Australia's General Manager of Big Bash Leagues, said: "The past week has thrown many COVID-related challenges the Big Bash's way, but throughout we have remained steadfast in our resolve to safely and successfully complete the season. These changes are designed to help the League and Clubs deliver on this, while also reducing risks to players, support staff, and the matches themselves. Having our players based in one state provides significantly greater flexibility to manage any further impacts of COVID-19."
"From challenges also comes opportunity and we are excited by the prospect of some huge doubleheader matchdays in Geelong and Melbourne. We also look forward to retaining matches in Adelaide, Brisbane, and the January 15 Derby in Sydney and seeing home fans turning out for these games. We thank everyone who continues to work so hard behind the scenes to safely deliver the competition including all players, League and Club staff, match officials, governments, broadcasters, partners, and venues," he added.
( With inputs from ANI )
Disclaimer: This post has been auto-published from an agency feed without any modifications to the text and has not been reviewed by an editor
