Shane Watson Hails Indian Premier League; Maintains Big Bash League Has Lost Its Way
Published - 14 May 2020, 08:27 PM | Updated - 23 Aug 2024, 08:19 AM
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Veteran Australian all-rounder, Shane Watson has heaped praise on the Indian Premier League stating that IPL has maintained the standard of cricket. Shane Watson also insisted that the Big Bash League (BBL) has lost its way and does not need to go out of the box to increase its popularity.
The expansion of the BBL from 32 group matches to 56 has not impressed Watson. He further feels the BBL is now too long, which in turn has compromised the quality of cricket that is played. Instead, he has suggested that the Australian league should focus more on having quality players from across the globe.
In comparison, Watson praised rival T20 league, the IPL, crediting the tournament, along with PSL, for keeping the standard of cricket as a priority.
Shane Watson Heaps Praise On The Indian Premier League
“I know all too well that the quality of the cricket that is being played in the BBL is now behind some of the tournaments around the world,” Watson, who plays for Chennai Super Kings in the IPL, wrote on his blog T20 Stars.
“The one thing that the IPLIPL and PSL do is make the quality of the cricket, the product, the number one priority. This is where the BBL has really lost its way. The quality of the cricket has been put on the back burner in the Big Bash and the entertainment gimmicks have been brought to the forefront,” ShaneWatson wrote on his blog T20 stars.”
The Big Bash League Is Way Too Long Now: Shane Watson
“The tournament is just too long. It’s disappointing for all of the families that follow the season so closely until school goes back, and the last thing parents want is for their kids to stay up [until] nearly midnight watching the matches on a school night,” Watson pointed out.
“As the BBL is comprised of 8 teams, the talent pool is already stretched pretty thin and now with the extension of the tournament, it is a challenge to keep your best players fit. Right now, if a team gets a few injuries, the franchise has to continue to find club cricketers to fill in. This happened way too many times during the season just gone. If the BBL wants to be one of the best T20 leagues in the world they need to have the best players in the world participating in the league,” he summed up.
