Former South African batsman Herschelle Gibbs has made bold comments on Australia’s Big Bash League and his own country’s SA20. Notably, both BBL and SA20 are currently underway. A Proteas legend’s social media comment has sparked a heated debate comparing SA20 with BBL.
Herschelle Gibbs sparks debate on BBL vs SA20, praises “quality” of Big Bash
It all started when a fan on X (formerly Twitter) claimed that the Big Bash League was no longer the second-best T20 league in the world and that SA20 had clearly overtaken it.
Gibbs charged into the decider but ultimately disappointed the South African fans. The Proteas legend strongly endorsed the Big Bash League as the best T20 league in the world.
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The former South African batsman pointed out that the BBL still offers the best competition between bat and ball, making it much more attractive than the SA20 league.
What did Herschelle Gibbs really say?
The former Proteas star highlighted Australia’s pace-friendly pitches, extra bounce and big boundaries, and explained that these factors force the batsmen and bowlers to work harder and make the contest more balanced and challenging.
Responding to the fan, Gibbs said, “BBL is still the best when it comes to competition between bat and ball. Pace and bounce and big boundaries “
BBL is still the best when it comes to competition between bat and ball. Speed and bounce and big boundaries https://t.co/befHGtD3vW
– Hershel Gibbs (@hershybru) 28 December 2025
Well, his comments immediately raised many eyebrows on social media, as he was indirectly placing SA20 in a lower bracket despite South Africa’s own flagship T20 competition rapidly rising in popularity and value.
Gibbs’ final verdict
As the conversation heated up, another fan accused Indian supporters of promoting SA20 only because the IPL owners own all six teams. The debate began to shift from cricket to ownership and nationality, but Gibbs firmly made his stance clear.
He clarified that he is not evaluating the leagues based on owners, marketing or promotion. Instead, the former Proteas batsman stressed that his approach was purely from a cricketing perspective, focusing on balance, conditions and competition rather than commercial success or popularity.
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Gibbs said, “You get the league as a product, and you get the cricket side of the balance between bat and ball. I’m only talking from the cricket side.”
You get the league as a product and you get the cricket aspect from the balance between bat and ball. I am only talking about the cricket side
– Hershel Gibbs (@hershybru) 28 December 2025
bbl vs sa20
SA20 has overtaken BBL in many ways because it offers more money and has stronger support. All six teams are owned by IPL franchises, so they have better planning, bigger budgets and higher payments to players.
The league has a salary cap of over US$2.3 million and a prize pool of around Rs 15.4 crore, which has helped it attract big international names like Jos Buttler and Moeen Ali.
The Big Bash League, on the other hand, has a much smaller prize pool of around Rs 3.7 crore, and the tournament often clashes with Australia’s Test cricket schedule. Because of this, many top Australian players are not always available for the BBL.
To remain competitive, the Big Bash League and Cricket Australia are now looking at privatization of the teams so that it can create a stronger financial system and attract top level players.
