Why Indian Players Should Play in the BBL

Why Indian Players Should Play in the BBL: The Big Bash League is a mega event of cricket. Very few domestic tournaments have caught the limelight of the global audience apart from the cash-rich Indian Premier League and the Big Bash certainly tops that list of other tournaments. It is one of those tournaments wherein the international stars play alongside the domestic warriors. Over the last seasons, players from different countries have graced the Aussie soil for the league but the Indian flavor has certainly been missing. Call it the protective nature of the BCCI for its players or call it a game monopoly, the absence of Indian players in such a mega event certainly does not please us. We are sure most of us would agree to this. Here are the reasons Why Indian Players Should Play in the BBL: 1. The Stature of the Event BBL. (Photo Source: Getty Images) Have no doubt about the stature of this competition. Ever since its inception in 2011 following the lines of the IPL, the BBL has been a big hit among the audiences. If the Indian players can play in the county cricket in England, then there is no reason why they shouldn’t be participating in an event like the BBL. The event is telecasted in all major cricket playing nations and hence doubting its image will not be the best of ideas. Former Australian skipper Allan Border quoted in an event “While I am a big fan of the Big Bash in its current format, having some Indians and a few more international players from other countries would really lift it to the next level. No Big Bash franchise has ever signed an Indian player because the Indian Board is extremely protective of the Indian Premier League,” 2. Get Used to the Conditions Sean Abbott of the Sixers. (Photo by Brendon Thorne – CA/Cricket Australia/Getty Images) It was really pathetic to watch a dismal performance put by India down under in the 2014-2015 Border-Gavaskar trophy. Yes, the men in blue did manage to put up a respectable show in the World Cup thereafter, but that was after ‘getting used to the conditions’ for about 3 months in Australia. The point here is, if Indian players play in the BBL, they will definitely get a good feel about the conditions of the hard and bouncy tracks. Playing on the domestic dead rubbers have resulted in Indians being deprived of quality pace tracks. The South Africans, for example, recently defeated India on Indian wickets owing their victory to the experience they had gained by playing in the IPL on these Indian turfs. Indians could actually take a leaf from this and play in the BBL! 3. Opportunities Galore Brad Hogg. (Photo by Morne DeKlerk – CA/Cricket Australia/Getty Images) The Big Bash league can prove to be stepping stone for many youngsters to play at the international level. We have all witnessed the emergence of Shane Watson, James Faulkner, Chris Morris and many more from the IPL. The BBL could prove to be the same for promising Indian youngsters and is definitely a good launching pad for them. Not just the youngsters can benefit from playing in the BBL, the veterans could also hone their skills a little more and enchant the audiences in the cash-rich BBL too! Former Australia captain Allan Border believes the participation of Indian players in the Big Bash League would enhance the tournament’s stature. “The Big Bash League is a fabulous product, but it would be great to see a sprinkling of Indian players in the competition,” Mr. Border quoted. 4. Add the Asian Flavor Kumar Sangakkara of the Hurricanes. (Photo by Michael Dodge – CA/Cricket Australia/Getty Images) If Indian players play in the BBL, then that would add to the Asian flavor of the event. It will always be interesting to watch and Indian player and a Pakistani player playing in the same team. The prospect of watching MS Dhoni finish a match with Shahid Afridi being on the other end enthralls everybody. It was only in the first edition of the IPL that we witnessed the Indians play alongside the Pakistani internationals. We would definitely want to see some more of that; be it the fun way or be it in a heated form – entertainment guaranteed! 5. For the Crowds Kieron Pollard of the Adelaide Strikers. (Photo by Daniel Kalisz – CA/Cricket Australia/Getty Images) The Indian crowds simply love their game of cricket and their cricketers. Indians should participate in the BBL for the love of the crowd. Wherever the players go, the audiences follow. No stands go empty if Indian players are involved in the match. If Indian players play in the BBL, it will not only be beneficial for the players but also for the organizers of the event. Allan Border quotes “Maybe it is time for Cricket Australia to go to work behind the scenes and see if there can be some deal done to get a few Indians in the Big Bash. That would certainly help the status of the competition and also encourage more overseas players to be a part of it,”

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Why Indian Players Should Play in the BBL

2. Get Used to the Conditions

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