Cricket Australia is considering scheduling more double-headers next season as part of a shortened Big Bash League so that the competition can finish earlier in February.
CA will conduct a review of the BBL at the end of the tournament as the governing body came under more criticism on Wednesday over the length of its Twent20 event.
Drawn-out campaign: There was a disappointing crowd for the Sydney Sixers’ match with Adelaide Strikers this week.Credit:AAP
Jolimont's ambition is to own February but administrators are prepared to play the long game in order to give the BBL time to grow from what was a 35-game season just two years ago into a full 59-game home-and-away competition.
There is a feeling at CA that the drop in average attendances and TV audiences are due to growing pains.
CA, however, are committed to maintaining 59 games, as part of the six-year $1.182 billion TV deal signed last year, but are open to altering the length of the event.
Cricket officials had been wary of how matches this week would be received by fans given it marked the end of the school holidays and their target audience is families.
Less than 10,000 fans attended the Sydney Sixers' clash with the Adelaide Strikers at the SCG on Tuesday night, though cricket administrators will point out that's more than any Shield game could attract.
The BBL will head deeper into uncharted waters on Friday when it holds a preliminary-round match in February for the first time.
To accommodate the return to school, matches over the next two weeks will be played predominantly on Friday nights and the weekend with the final to be held on February 17 – 10 days later than the previous latest finish in 2013/14.
It's understood CA is considering double-headers across the first two Saturdays in January which would reduce the need to play matches after the resumption of the school year.
This, however, would require cooperation from the TV partners Seven and Fox as it would result in the two broadcasters going head to head.
There are nine days in this summer's BBL where there are multiple games. This may grow next season if there is an earlier finish.
A Boxing Day launch is also a possibility though it's understood officials are not overly concerned with staging games in the week before Christmas, even if franchises have generally found that period harder to sell.
The BBL fixture this season was hampered by a day/night Test in January, which robbed them of three days to schedule BBL games to avoid a clash.
There is clearer air next summer with the Test season expected to finish after the New Year's Test at the SCG and only three one-day internationals to follow that.
The Futures Tour Program has Australia down for a one-day international tour of India in January though that is likely to be changed at an International Cricket Council meeting in Dubai next month.
Melbourne Stars paceman Jackson Bird joined the chorus of players critical of the BBL schedule.
"I think the season is probably a bit too long," Bird said on Macquarie Sports Radio. "It's been dragging out a bit in the last couple of weeks.
"The players love playing in the Big Bash but we could probably condense the season into a shorter block.
"Speaking from experience, I was pretty cooked after the Shield finished before the Big Bash, we played six games in pretty quick sort of periods.
"The length of the Big Bash is currently affecting the scheduling of the other formats, it's something to look at from Cricket Australia's point of view, but I definitely think we could condense the season a bit."
There have also been concerns the length of the BBL had impacted the ability of franchises to attract big-name imports from rival T20 leagues, while the quality of pitches has also been blamed for the perceived decline in playing standards.
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