Big Bash not to clash with international season in future

James Sutherland, the chief executive of Cricket Australia, is set to accommodate the wishes of his state associations by creating a window for the domestic Big Bash Twenty20 tournament. The Big Bash currently overlaps with Australia's home international season, meaning the country's leading players are largely unavailable to represent their state sides.

"Our long term planning has a way to go but I could see the time come when the Big Bash has its own summer-time window so that we can bolster it even further by having our Test and ODI players available for inter-state Twenty20 duties," Sutherland said. "The inclusion of overseas stars such as Chris Gayle, Dwayne Bravo and Shahid Afridi is making this season's contest a Bigger Bash, so to speak, and performances by increasingly high profile state players such as Dave Warner, Stephen Smith and Tim Paine this week are also helping the turnstiles click faster".

The first week of the 2009-10 edition saw television ratings jump 37% over the corresponding period last year. Sutherland said the ratings figures, coupled with strong attendance figures, demonstrated the strength of the tournament, given it coincided with the Boxing Day Test.