BBL 2020-21: Cricket Australia announces tournament schedule

Sydney Sixers. (Photo Source: Twitter)

Cricket Australia (CA) announced the schedule for the upcoming 2020-21 season of its premiere on Thursday T20 tournament Big Bash League (BBL). In the new schedule, the Australian Cricket Board announced revised dates, start times and matchups for all 56 regular season games. However, the venues have only been confirmed for the first 21 matches until 31 December.

CA expects matches to be played at all major centers this summer and that the tournament’s opening round will take place in Tasmania, Queensland, Canberra and Adelaide. According to reports in the Australian media, restrictions on movement across borders will be reduced by 10 December. As a result, officials have decided to wait before announcing venues for the Games to be held in the new year.

Due to current restrictions, complete freedom of movement around Australia is still not possible. But despite the restrictions, only seven of the first 21 matches will be played at neutral venues. All eight teams will be based in either Tasmania or Canberra to begin the season, six games will be played at the Blundstone Arena in Hobart, two at the UTAS Stadium in Lonston and six at Manuka Oval in Canberra.

Tournament to begin on 10 december

From 23–31 December, there will be three matches at Gaba, two at the Metricon Stadium on the Gold Coast, and two at Adelaide Oval – including the traditional New Year’s Eve game. The season begins on December 10 in Hobart with a clash between defending champions Sydney Sixers and Hobart Hurricanes. The five-match final series will begin on January 29 and end on February 6.

Blockbuster Test Series Between India and AustraliaStarting on 17 December, will also affect BBL. Nine matches will be played before the first Test, with the tournament halted for two days when the Border-Gavaskar series begins. There will be no BBL for days one, two and five of the first test. The season will end again after the final Australia-India Test, 11 matches played in the six days before the final series begins.

“We are working through scenarios for 35 regular season matches and finals series played with our partners and government bodies in the new year,” CA head of the Big Bash League Alastair Dobson said in a statement.

“An announcement will be made at these places in the coming weeks. This is, without doubt, the most complex fixing task undertaken by the league and we are excited about where it landed. It has been a difficult year for many people around Australia and we look forward to bringing BBL to every state, the boundary conditions we should allow, ”he said.