BBL looking to expand presence overseas with Asian countries in fray
"We should be looking to grow [the BBL] and bring it to as many people as we possibly can," said Hockley.
Big Bash League is bracing up for overseas expansion as Cricket Australia’s CEO Nick Hockley has stated that the league is looking to include Asian nations. Cricket ACT, the governing body of cricket in the Australian Capital Territory, has expressed the desire to join the competition, with government backing for a team to enter from 2026-27.
The league is also expecting at least one franchise from New Zealand. There are also possibilities of sides from both the north and south Island. The most significant revelation from Hockley is that the league is eyeing to rope in Asian countries.
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"We're doing a bunch of work on what that could look like right now, whether that's teams in New Zealand or even broader pan Asia. We've got an amazing proposition and we should be looking to grow it and bring it to as many people as we possibly can. I feel that the Big Bash can and should be the out and out second biggest T20 league in the world. The IPL is just an absolute powerhouse," Hockley said on SEN.
I think in Asia-Pacific, people are coming together more: Hockley
Hockley said if a successful business case could be presented, Asian countries could also get associated with BBL. Notably, Asia-Pacific nations such as Malaysia have entered in the domain of cricket, having hosted women's internationals. Additionally, countries like Singapore remain amongst potential options.
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"It depends on a range of stuff. Do those geographies bring new players? Do they bring new fans? And is there a market for it? Clearly the NRL has made that decision that there are. We're seeing this play out with India, there's that almost soft diplomacy element and bringing people and countries together. I think in Asia-Pacific, or with Oceania competitions, people are coming together more and more. So it's certainly something that we'll continue to explore,” he added.
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