BBL 12 set to begin on December 13

The Big Bash League 2022-23 will begin on December 13, with the tournament final taking place on February 4. 

This is a massive change from the last edition, which started in early December and finished by the end of January, much to the angst of broadcasters.

The opening encounter will be between the Sydney Thunder and Melbourne Stars in Canberra, a day after the completion of the West Indies tour of Australia. With South Africa canceling their ODI series, the BBL will have an uninterrupted run post the Sydney Test.

Three new venues - Albury, Cairns, and North Sydney Oval - have been added this time with lessened covid-19 restrictions.

High-profile games between both Melbourne teams will be played on January 3 and 14, while the Sydney derbies will take place on January 8 and 21, respectively.

The group stage will be followed by the playoffs and a final

Speaking on the upcoming BBL 12, Alistair Dobson, GM BBL said, "We've been clear since the end of last season given the disruption of two years that rebounding really strongly this season is such a critical thing for us to achieve. This season is one of if not the most important seasons we've had in recent years.

Right at the top of list was crowds and attendances at games. We are still learning broadly about what fans' behaviours are in terms of getting back to big sporting events. We are watching the winter codes really closely and hearing from them about the opportunities and challenges."

The BBL Draft for overseas players will take place sometime in mid-August. This season might also see the implementation of DRS after multiple failed attempts.

Other innovations like X-factor and Bash Boost point could be scrapped, while the concept of Power Surge still being used.