On the eve of a new season, questions surround the value of the overseas draft, the length of the tournament, and the return to the big stadiums
Andrew McGlashan18-Oct-2023The WBBL has been a game-changer for the sport, and a key element in keeping Australia ahead of the chasing pack at international level, but now it is part of a rapidly evolving women’s game where its preeminence is being challenged.Season nine will begin on Thursday when Sydney Sixers take on Melbourne Stars at North Sydney Oval. The tournament will again be crammed with some of the best overseas players and will produce some thrilling cricket before it finishes with the final on December 2.However, with global stars now having more choice than ever and the calendar becoming increasingly busy, the tournament faces competition. Here are some talking points ahead of the latest edition.Did the draft work?The stage was set for the WBBL draft in Melbourne•Getty ImagesThe introduction of the draft was the big new thing for this season, but it needs to be questioned whether it really served a purpose. The event itself did see some eye-catching signings, but it was a largely predictable affair and there were a host of passes across the last two rounds.Related
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There was a mechanism that allowed clubs to agree to direct signings with players for a reduced maximum salary and it was an option taken by six of the sides. Other players, notably Chamari Athapaththu, were then signed after the draft which can also happen in the BBL.Most intriguing, however, was the emergence of England allrounder Nat Sciver-Brunt with Perth Scorchers following Danni Wyatt’s withdrawal. Sciver-Brunt wasn’t among the original draft names having been made unavailable by the ECB but was then released for a reduced number of games.It is a good thing to have as many of the world’s best players in the WBBL – and Sciver-Brunt is at the top of the tree – but she would clearly have been of interest to other clubs if available in the original draft, with Meg Lanning of Melbourne Stars coming out strongly against the move.”Not a fan of the draft, I’ll be honest, don’t think it was needed in the women’s game,” Megan Schutt told ESPNcricinfo. “It works for the men, but don’t think we needed it. We are happy to get Laura [Woolvardt] back, it rewards loyalty and that’s the thing with the draft, players don’t get a choice. It’s the uncertainty of whether you will be based with a team or city you might not like.”However, others enjoyed the new experience. “It was really interesting, found it really cool to be involved in, certainly the overseas list management side of it,” Tahlia McGrath, Adelaide Strikers’ captain, told ESPNcricinfo. “We had to plan A, B, C and D and had to predict a little what was going to happen.”Brisbane Heat captain Jess Jonassen said: “There are still areas to improve with the draft process. Ideally, you’d love to get to the point where there weren’t so many passes happening. But ultimately with the amount of domestic talent in Australia and the salary caps, it is inevitable and you saw it in the men’s draft as well.”But not just about the big starsPhoebe Litchfield switch hits over cover•Getty ImagesOne of the strengths of the WBBL has been the platform it gives to Australian domestic cricketers to develop. A prime example of that is the evolution of Phoebe Litchfield who, each season, has added a layer to her game and enters this campaign with even greater power as shown against West Indies.”Undoubtedly the international talent is a huge component…but it would be really remiss not to take note of how strong the domestic talent is,” Ellyse Perry said at the season launch in Melbourne. “There are so many good players across all the teams and I think that’s the real point of difference for the WBBL is just how strong all the squads are from the first player to the last on the list. And it makes it incredibly tough. I don’t think people stand out the way they do in other teams. Across the board, there’s just always contributions from many players.”Over the next few years, there will start to be a changing of the guard in the national side and some of those domestic names will get their chance. A few to keep an eye on include Tess Flintoff, Georgia Voll, Tahlia Wilson, Courtney Webb and 18-year-old Melbourne Stars quick Milly Illingworth.Time for less is more?Amelia Kerr will miss the start of the WBBL•Getty ImagesFor many years, the WBBL has been a must-do for overseas players and a sought-after gig. It remains so, as seen by the names who are here this year, but it doesn’t have a monopoly. For the second year running, India star Smriti Mandhana will not feature having not put her name into the draft, although it’s understood there were talks with at least one club.The BBL has been reduced and there was talk the WBBL could follow suit, but the change was resisted and it will again be a 56-game regular season plus finals, which runs for more than seven weeks. International players are now starting to consider if that is a commitment they want to make.”I’m such a fence sitter with this because I love 14 games,” Schutt said. “The ability to play everyone twice, I love that, but it is too long for internationals. Six to seven weeks is a lot in a schedule that is only getting busier. As much as you can increase the pay, you can’t replace time. It probably does need to be looked at and you probably aren’t going to do that without reducing the games, which is unfortunate, but I understand.”Lanning, Australia’s captain, was stronger in her view. “I think it should be 10 games, that’s just my personal opinion,” Lanning said. ” I think 14 games is quite long and there seems to be a bit of a lull for most teams at some point in the season. It could maybe make it a little bit more enticing for the internationals to come and stay part of it for the whole time as well.”
“It’s obviously quite a long tournament, the schedule is just so different to what it used to be in terms of internationally and all the other franchise tournaments that are available. As female cricketers, we are still getting used to that, trying to manage your mind, your body and trying to get a bit of time off while also not wanting to miss out and play in these great tournaments.”England and Sydney Thunder captain Heather Knight
It is also starting to get squeezed by the calendar. South Africa and New Zealand have finished a series just days before the start of the WBBL, part of the reason behind Amelia Kerr’s delayed arrival for Brisbane Heat. New Zealand are also set to play Pakistan on the day after the WBBL final while England will tour India in early December which could see key players leaving early.”It’s obviously quite a long tournament, the schedule is just so different to what it used to be in terms of internationally and all the other franchise tournaments that are available,” England captain Heather Knight said. “As female cricketers, we are still getting used to that, trying to manage your mind, your body and trying to get a bit of time off while also not wanting to miss out and play in these great tournaments.”Having not been involved [in the WBBL] for two years it was not too hard of a decision to come and play, but you also have to think about other things. Those decisions are becoming a little harder. I know they are really trying to push things forward in the Big Bash and make it a really attractive thing to come play in [and] it’s still one of the best tournaments.”The game-changer for the WBBL would be if the WPL is ever moved from its March slot to October or November which has been mooted.New fixture layout, iconic stadiums returnThere hasn’t been a women’s match at the MCG since the 2020 T20 World Cup final•Getty ImagesThere have been some significant changes to the layout of the tournament this season with games spread more evenly throughout the week, more home matches (and fewer neutral fixtures), and removing the three or four-game days which had previously been a feature. There will now be no more than two games a day.The tournament will also return to some iconic stadiums with the final weekend of the regular season featuring games at Adelaide Oval, the MCG and the SCG. There is a hope the competition can feed off the hype created by the FIFA Women’s World Cup that was recently held in Australia and enjoyed outstanding crowds.”It’s exciting and really important for the WBBL and its next phase of growth,” Perry said. “To have more [major] venues and standalone matches and be ambitious about the crowd numbers we want to attract. Think this year with the games at the SCG, MCG and Adelaide Oval, it’s a great step forward and very much just the start of where the competition wants to go to and the foothold we want to have during the summer.”