The "ultimate encroachment" of the Big Bash League onto Test cricket’s "most sacred period -- a T20 match on Christmas Day" -- is coming, according to Wayne Smith of THE AUSTRALIAN. Test cricket is "being squeezed, anaconda-like, by the newest and most popular form of the game, with the BBL venturing right up to the brink of Christmas" with the Melbourne Renegades-Sydney Sixers match on Dec. 23 and then resuming "barely before fans have stirred from their Christmas Day nap with the Boxing Day clash of the Perth Scorchers and Brisbane Heat." In recent decades, Christmas Day was "holy ground not to be walked upon, or at least it was" until Cricket Australia CEO James Sutherland admitted on Sunday that the idea was "at least being considered." Sutherland said, "It's an interesting one." He added, "I did hear some of the commentary around it, just in the last few days. It hadn't actually occurred to me before but sitting back on Christmas night, having had the great nights of entertainment in the previous week, it's something that has been on the drawing boards." But although Sutherland insists "international cricket is the main game," he admitted that the BBL is "taking some of the limelight away from the Test arena." Sutherland: "But realistically we're very comfortable that we will continue to get the balance right to ensure it is inspiring kids to pick up a bat and ball to play the game" (THE AUSTRALIAN, 12/28).
