Australian Premier League 2011-12

Rob · Post by **Rob** » Tue Dec 15, 2009 9:07 pm

Worth a thread of it's own.

http://www.theage.com.au/sport/cricket/ ... -ks9w.html

Cricket Australia to create new league
December 15, 2009
CRICKET Australia has declared its ambition to create a tribal culture to rival the major football codes in unveiling a lucrative new Twenty20 league featuring cities rather than states the summer after next.

Having previously shelved plans for a Southern Premier League involving New Zealand South Africa for economic reasons, Australia is pressing ahead with plans for its own competition, which will feature eight cities, six of them originating from the states that contest the Sheffield Shield and domestic 50-over tournaments.

CA's board of directors endorsed the concept at a meeting on Friday and chief executive James Sutherland is this week briefing state associations on major changes to the Twenty20 Big Bash, which it hopes will boost attendances and television audiences for state cricket so that Cricket Australia does not have to rely so heavily on international cricket for revenue, which peaks when England and India tour but flattens out for the summers in between.

''There is a clear global trend towards club Twenty20 leagues being the future growth engine … and as such the board has approved it and we'll go away and do more work on it,'' Cricket Australia spokesman Peter Young confirmed yesterday.

''Sheffield Shield and Ford Ranger Cup are there to develop players for international cricket. The KFC Big Bash when it becomes the KFC bigger bash is there for entertainment and profit and there is a strong view that it could see state cricket as popular as it used to be in the old days, where it consistently draws major crowds and major TV ratings, particularly if we can come up with some way of international players playing it. There is a strong view that we can build state cricket revenue to the point where state cricket is as big and important to us as, say, AFL or NRL is …''

This summer's Big Bash will already feature several overseas stars after states were given cash grants to recruit the likes of Dwayne Bravo (Victoria), Shahid Afridi and Kieron Pollard (South Australia) and West Indies captain Chris Gayle (Western Australia). However, the new tournament will more closely resemble the Indian Premier League, though on a smaller scale, in which players do not necessarily represent their city of origin.

It will begin in 2011-12, after next summer's Ashes, and is expected to include the state capital cities.

Be interesting to see how it's structured. IMO if it only goes for a few weeks then you're not going to get much fan loyalty.

Egan · Post by **Egan** » Tue Dec 15, 2009 9:12 pm

Will it include Wellington and Auckland?

This is so being created because of the ABL. Baseball is so much better than Twenty/20...

beastjim · Post by **beastjim** » Tue Dec 15, 2009 9:23 pm

Egan wrote:Will it include Wellington and Auckland?

This is so being created because of the ABL. Baseball is so much better than Twenty/20...

1 of the extras would certainly be Canberra. The eighth position perhaps could be auctioned (well you know open to bids from regional areas) off like the A-League did which lead to the Central Coast Mariners. Otherwise the Gold Coast or Newcastle are the next biggest cities in the Australian list. Gold Coast will have Carrara completed, Newcastle would probably need some improvements at wherever Cricket is played in Newcastle (off the top of my head its Newcastle Sports Ground No.1 or something like that)

Egan · Post by **Egan** » Tue Dec 15, 2009 9:33 pm

I'd go Wellington for team 8 if this was simply a revenue raiser...get added exposure for sponsors into the kiwi market...

kame_22 · Post by **kame_22** » Tue Dec 15, 2009 10:22 pm

New Zealand can make there own league for once

beastjim · Post by **beastjim** » Tue Dec 15, 2009 10:45 pm

New Zealand may have lost their chance when the Southern Premier League idea fell over. It would all depend on how receptive the NZ Cricket people were to the original idea as to if they intend to head back into that location with a potential team.

The article doesn't scream to me with NZ participation. I think this will be Australian only.

Egan · Post by **Egan** » Tue Dec 15, 2009 10:51 pm

which will feature eight cities, six of them originating from the states that contest the Sheffield Shield and domestic 50-over tournaments.

That quote screams to me that there will be two other cities chosen for Twenty/20.

Could be the re-opening of Eden Park...

gyfox · Post by **gyfox** » Tue Dec 15, 2009 11:22 pm

Carrara will be finished by then.

Rob · Post by **Rob** » Tue Dec 15, 2009 11:45 pm

Fox Sports are reporting no NZ (or SA) teams.

For the extra 2 teams, i'd guess Canberra and the Gold Coast. Newcastle doesn't have a ground. Geelong would be a possibility, but an outsider.

And FFS Egan, this has about as much to do with the ABL as it does with the Namibian Korfball League. It's come about because of the success of the IPL and the domestic 20/20. CA rightfully realise that they can't rely on the national team anymore to maintain the relevance of cricket.

cam · Post by **cam** » Wed Dec 16, 2009 12:01 am

Get set for a "Australian Premier League is better off due to Baseball" thread from Egan.

Egan · Post by **Egan** » Wed Dec 16, 2009 12:37 am

Rob wrote:
And FFS Egan, this has about as much to do with the ABL as it does with the Namibian Korfball League. It's come about because of the success of the IPL and the domestic 20/20. CA rightfully realise that they can't rely on the national team anymore to maintain the relevance of cricket.

They are contributing factors but the ABL will be a direct competitor with the APL and will have Major League Baseball in America providing 50% of the funding...

I wonder if they would do Cairns or Darwin as the 7th and 8th teams?

Egan · Post by **Egan** » Wed Dec 16, 2009 12:38 am

cam wrote:Get set for a "Australian Premier League is better off due to Baseball" thread from Egan.

I haven't done one of those threads yet...

Jeffles · Post by **Jeffles** » Wed Dec 16, 2009 8:07 am

I don't know why they don't just expand the current Big Bash to a full home and away series. You'd almost double the number of matches and avoid conflict between the associations and the franchises.

The Sunday Telegraph reported that the Sheffield Shield may go from ten rounds to eight to accomodate this. I bloody hope not - the summer is long enough IMO to accomodate ten round Shield, T20, F50 and finals.

kame_22 · Post by **kame_22** » Wed Dec 16, 2009 2:10 pm

more domestic games keep the 10 round Sheffield shield and start big bash in December not January

beastjim · Post by **beastjim** » Wed Dec 16, 2009 2:31 pm

Test matches should be played in November/December/New years (You can easily fit 6 of them in two months) then mid January for however long is domestic T20. Then ODI's.