Cricket Australia (CA) has unveiled the new format and fixtures of the 2023-24 edition of the Big Bash League (BBL) following the decision to reduce the matches and narrow the window down. The tournament has been reduced to a 44-match affair and the season will kickstart from December 7 onwards.
According to the new format, each team will now play 10 league matches before the top four teams qualify for the knockout phase. The restructured playoffs format comprises four matches, including the final (January 24). Earlier, the BBL playoffs encompassed a total of five teams which meant a total of five matches in the knockout phase of the tournament.The 2023-24 BBL season will include a brief break from December 14 to 18 as it coincides with Australia's first Test against Pakistan at Perth. The action will resume with the eighth match from December 19 onwards while the Christmas Eve fixture has been scrapped altogether.
Because of the Men’s Cricket World Cup in India, which concludes in late November, Australia’s Test summer overlaps with the BBL, meaning the likes of Steve Smith and Pat Cummins won’t be available for the popular T20 competition. However, for future home summers not impacted by ICC events, Cricket Australia won’t schedule Tests after the SCG New Year’s fixture, creating a window in January for Test stars to play Big Bash cricket.Meanwhile, because there’s less overlap with rival T20 leagues, including South Africa’s SA20 and the United Arab Emirates’ ILT20, international players are expected to be available for a larger portion of the competition.
