Steve Smith’s Brilliance Reinforces Why Australia’s Top Cricketers Need To Play In Big Bash League

Forget about gimmicks, tactical innovations and even megawatt international drawcards to whip up interest. Above all, homegrown heroes trump all for domestic leagues. That’s true for any sport, anywhere in the world.

Steve Smith, one of Australia’s greatest ever batters, is proving that rings true during a remarkable return to the rejuvenated Big Bash League where he has smashed two blistering centuries in front of heaving crowds.

During the much-anticipated clash between crosstown Sydney rivals, and a match-up with his superstar national teammate David Warner, Smith cracked an unbeaten 125 off 66 balls to become just the second batter in BBL history to notch consecutive centuries.

An enduring image – apart from his continual power-hitting marked by a beautiful thud of ball hitting the sweet spot of the bat – was Smith raising his bat and helmet to a frenzied crowd of almost 40,000 at the pristine Sydney Cricket Ground.

This capped a bounce back season for the much-maligned BBL, which had been affected by a couple of Covid-19 pandemic seasons having already been on a downward turn after the heady heights it experienced mid last decade.

Several Australian stars, led by Smith and Warner – Australia’s best batters over the last decade – returned to the BBL for rare appearances. For Warner, who unlike Smith has struggled, it was his first time playing in the BBL since December 2013.

The pair are getting handsomely paid – Warner reportedly around AUD $80,000 ($55,000) per game according to The Age newspaper.

But it’s worth the investment with their presence helping the BBL shake off the loss of a slew of overseas players who packed their bags for the more lucrative startup rival leagues in the UAEUAE
and South Africa.

Momentum had been developing through a season laced with thrilling matches, spectacular performances and controversy. The BBL has attracted a lot of attention helped by a lacklustre international summer, where Australia thrashed listless West Indies and South Africa in lop-sided Test series.

South Africa controversially pulling out of a three-match ODI series set for mid-January – in a bid for its stars to play in their new T20 league – has proven a silver lining for Cricket Australia.

The ODI series would have struggled for traction given the format’s increasing lack of relevance and the free space for the BBL has given it a chance to hog the limelight.

It has proven what many have thought for some time – the BBL should have a designated slot in the Australian calendar for much of January. If other Australian players such as Pat Cummins and Mitchell Starc were able to partake then the BBL really would go up another level.

But it’s been a difficult tightrope for Cricket Australia to walk amid a congested calendar and with their priorities still seemingly on international cricket – unlike other countries like South Africa who know the financial windfalls lie in T20 franchise cricket.

Through a billion dollar broadcast deal, Cricket Australia obviously aren’t crunched financially but it clearly wants the BBL to succeed and regain its standing as the summer’s hottest ticket after a negative perception in recent years.

The best way to do that is to populate the competition with its best local players and to create a spectacle much like the SCG ‘Sydney smash’.

The BBL is amid renewal and will be shorter next year after complaints – from players and fans – that its near-two month season is too long.

It is likely to snugly fit into its prime slot in the Australian school holidays of mid-December through January with a couple of weeks trimmed from its current elongated length.

But the crammed international scheduling might rear next summer with Pakistan and West Indies once again touring Australia.

A slumping West Indies, who sadly struggle to enthuse much interest, are likely to play a couple of Tests late January/early February which would probably negate the likes of Smith and other top Australian players from being able to compete much in the BBL if at all.

It’s admirable that Australia still put Test cricket on a pedestal – only fellow traditionalist England does that.

But other nations perhaps reading the writing on the wall – most notably India whose players are not allowed to compete in any other T20 leagues bar their own – make sure they have dedicated windows.

There is a lot of money to be made plus it ensures their local stars can put on a show for the fans.

As so beautifully illustrated at the SCG during an unforgettable night, it’s seemingly what Australian fans want too.