“We’re always looking at opportunities to grow the game and expand our fan base”

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The Big Bash League (BBL) is set to be expanded next season in terms of number of games played and the venues the franchises play at.

Since the second edition of the tournament, the eight teams have played eight games apiece, with four being at home and four being on the road.

That number is set to rise to 10 games for each side, which will see the number of games in the competition rise from 32 to 40. As a result, the tournament is on track to branch out to different venues that have not been part of the action before.

“We’re always looking at opportunities to grow the game and expand our fan base beyond traditional markets and demographics,” Anthony Everard, head of the BBL, said via a Cricket Australia statement. “The scheduling of the additional eight matches in a manner that complements the existing regular season fixture is aimed at encouraging more people to pick up a bat and ball and give cricket a go.

“We haven’t yet finalised the locations of these additional matches yet, but we are working closely with clubs to explore options.

“A state-by-state approach will be taken to determine the most appropriate location to host this additional fixture, taking into account aspects including existing contractual obligations, participation and fan growth opportunities, and venue infrastructure.

“The opportunity to expand matches into non-traditional markets is not just limited to the men’s game. We are working to see how we can also schedule Women’s Big Bash League matches in these new venues, once they are finalised.”

As for the expansion of the number of teams, Everard revealed that there are no immediate plans to introduce any more franchises, but he did not out the possibility of it happening in the future.

“At present, there are no plans to increase the number of teams in the League in the immediate future, but we remain open minded about future expansion plans,” he added.