Australia's cricket players "have tabled a recommendation" to Cricket Australia that the Big Bash League be played in October in future seasons, according to Chris Barrett of the SYDNEY MORNING HERALD. The players' union, the Australian Cricketers' Association, "has lodged with CA a series of recommendations for change in a document compiled last year that they have called their 'state of the game' report." Central to the report is scheduling and the impact of the BBL on the other competitions. The players have recommended that in the long term "the tournament be shifted to the start of the season in October and run for the length of that month -- four-and-a-half weeks -- not seven weeks as is the case now." The players, however, "face a challenge convincing not only CA but Ten of the merits of moving the BBL." Ten, which has a deal worth A$100M in cash and contra to broadcast the BBL for this season and the next four, is "keen to retain the T20 event's place on the schedule." Ten Head of Sport David Barham said,
"We're pretty happy with where [the BBL] is now" (SMH, 1/27).
