Adam Gilchrist wants to see Indian players in BBL in the future

Former Australian wicket-keeping batsman Adam Gilchrist has stated that he would like to see Indian players ply their trade in the Big Bash League. However, the complexity of the structure in Indian cricket has seen very few players play in domestic tournaments overseas. Gilchrist however, believes that onboarding Indian players could perhaps propel the tournament to even grander heights.

No Indian player has ever taken part in domestic T20 tournaments overseas with the BCCI wanting its players to perform in their robust domestic structure that runs for a majority of months in the year.

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“It’s a challenging one because their (India’s) cricket season is on (during the BBL), so the seasons overlap,” Gilchrist told Cricbuzz at Cricket Australia’s official BBL 2016-17 launch in Sydney on Tuesday (June 7). “I hope Indian players could play in the future because Australia and other nations have made concessions to play in their tournament (IPL).”

The 44-year old Gilchrist believed that inclusion of Indian players would certainly be beneficial for all. “I think it would be a huge boost for the game and also for the Indian cricketers to gain experience in these conditions and these tournaments rather than have a blinkered view,” Gilchrist said. “I think it would be wonderful if all nations were represented in the BBL. Then it would come down to the individual players if they wanted to be part of it. It is encouraging (India’s) women’s players have been given the green light (to play in the WBBL), so hopefully down the track the men’s players are available to play in the BBL.”

“I think if the cricket is good quality, whether international or domestic, then people will be interested and want to watch it. Clearly last summer’s international schedule was not up to the quality of other summers. But South Africa are coming this summer, so I think there will be plenty to keep people entertained in all the formats.”

“It was always going to grow once it hit free-to-air television, no matter who was going to be the broadcaster,” he said. “Simply more people can see it when it’s on free-to-air. The fans just love it, but the players have really become engaged and can take credit for the type of fan engagement the Big Bash is getting.”

It was always going to grow once it hit free-to-air television, no matter who was going to be the broadcaster,” he said. “Simply more people can see it when it’s on free-to-air. The fans just love it, but the players have really become engaged and can take credit for the type of fan engagement the Big Bash is getting.

“It just seems the last three years has gotten bigger each year for the BBL,” he added. “Last year seemed to really be the breakthrough. I think the addition of the WBBL created a greater awareness and focus on T20 cricket. I really do think it has cemented itself in the sports summer fabric of Australia.”