On Thursday, January 15, the Big Bash League (BBL) announced a new rule in the league that will come into effect from the next season of the tournament – BBL 16.
The new rule is called the designated batsman and fielder rule and it will allow teams to nominate a designated batsman and fielder for all matches played from next season.
Big Bash League (BBL) introduces ‘designated batsman and fielder’ rule
According to this new rule, the eight Big Bash League teams will be given the opportunity to nominate a player from their XI to act as the designated batsman before the toss/bat flip.
The player who is nominated as a designated batsman will be allowed to bat only in the match and will be prohibited from taking the field as a bowler or fielder.
Upon change of innings, the designated batsman will be replaced by the designated fielder, who will also be nominated before the bat is turned.
However, the designated fielder will not be allowed to bowl but will be allowed to act as wicketkeeper.
The biggest positive side of this new rule is that teams will not be forced to follow it in all games and can name a traditional playing XI if they choose not to name a designated batsman or fielder.
Also, the thing to be noted here is that this new rule will be applicable only to Men’s BBL and not to WBBL.
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The Big Bash was built on the spirit of innovation and development – Alistair Dobson
In an official statement, Cricket Australia’s Big Bash League general manager Alistair Dobson said they wanted to give clubs more strategic options with this new BBL rule.
“The Big Bash was built on the spirit of innovation and evolution, and our new designated batsman and fielder rules are all about giving teams more strategic options and creating new dynamics for fans to enjoy,” Alistair Dobson, Cricket Australia’s general manager of the Big Bash League, was quoted as saying by cricket.com.au.
“Every fan wants to see the most explosive batsmen and electric fielders playing as many games as possible and we are excited to see how clubs use this flexibility to shape matches in BBL|16.
“During the consultation process, we were conscious that we did not want to change the fundamentals of the game, but rather add an element that adds interest, strategy and entertainment.”
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Many more to follow…
