Cricket Australia chief Todd Greenberg has expressed his view that it would be realistic to expect Virat Kohli to play in the Big Bash League someday, like Ravichandran Ashwin; However, this will largely depend on the privatization of the league.
The final ODI in Sydney could be the last match on Australian soil for Indian legend Virat Kohli, as he has already announced his retirement from the other two formats of international cricket.
Ravichandran Ashwin, the great Indian spinner who played his last match on Australian soil in BGT last summer, is set to return to live action in Australia with the Big Bash League. He is all set to become the first Indian to play in an Australian franchise T20 tournament.
Current Australian boss Todd Greenberg found it realistic to see Virat Kohli playing in the BBL like Ravichandran Ashwin sometime in the future; However, he agreed that a lot would depend on the privatization of the league.
In the current situation, Indian players registered under the BCCI will have to retire from both domestic and international cricket to participate in foreign leagues, as well as withdraw from the lucrative IPL contract.
Things could change if Indian investors could come into the Big Bash League and join its privatization, as they did in South Africa, England and the Caribbean.
When Greenberg was asked if the dream of Virat Kohli’s involvement is realistic in any sense, he said, “In the short to medium term, I think it is realistic over time.”
“We will keep conversations open. Ravichandran Ashwin coming in is a really important moment for the BBL, and I think it will highlight the strength of bringing Indian players into the league.”
“I think how it unfolds over time remains to be seen. Some of it will depend on whether or not we bring private capital into the BBL, which is an open conversation for us,” he said.
Greenberg confirms BBL privatization ahead of upcoming season
Bringing in a player of Virat Kohli’s stature would be a significant price tag, as the Indian legend is one of the greatest and most marketable players in the world. Cricket Australia will likely take a decision on the privatization of the league this summer and Greenberg has also made no secret of his desire to make the BBL the second-largest league after the IPL.
“The best leagues in every sport around the world have one thing in common. They have access to the best players and the BBL should be no different to that,” he said.
Greenberg said, “We should aspire to ensure that the best players here in Australia and globally can play in the BBL. It costs money because players have the exposure and opportunity to play all over the world. So without any shame we want to bring the best players here.”
“This is one of the primary drivers as to why we would consider bringing private capital into the BBL so we can compete on the global stage,” he concluded.
Pakistan players gear up for exciting summer in BBL
Keeping Virat Kohli aside for the time being, Greenberg assured the participation of Pakistan players in the BBL season this summer, with the likes of Babar Azam, Mohammad Rizwan, Shaheen Afridi and Haris Rauf heading to Australia.
With the PCB finally confirming its decision to hand over clearance to its players, Greenberg also revealed that a 6-a-side Smash series, played within 60 minutes, has been introduced, and the format includes Players bat in pairs and use different types of balls.
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