X-Factor and Power Surge downgrade Big Bash League - Chris Waters

For how else to describe the way in which cricket’s authorities treat spectators?

The latest indignities come from Australia.

Not content with the childish gimmicks already in place – helmet cameras, zing bails, bat flips at the toss instead of a coin – a number of new innovations have been announced for the KFC Big Cash League (sorry, the KFC Big Bash League).

So for the 10th edition of the Australian tournament that starts next month, we will see the introduction of the ‘Power Surge’, the ‘X-Factor’ and the ‘Bash Boost’.

I don’t know about you, but they sound like the latest products from a high-energy drinks company as opposed to something associated with a sport once graced by the likes of Lord Hawke and WG Grace.

Either that, or they are the sort of thing that you would expect to find on those gormless game shows on Saturday night prime-time television where whooping contestants double their money by answering such devilish questions as: What is the capital of England?

“Er, er, oh, it’s on the tip of my tongue, Matthew… er, er, is it Southampton?”

So, what are the ‘Power Surge’, ‘X-Factor’ and ‘Bash Boost’ exactly?

Who cares.

Oh, all right then, I’ll tell you...

The ‘Power Surge’ is basically mutton dressed as lamb – a tweak to the existing T20 powerplay regulations whereby instead of a six-over powerplay at the start of each innings, in which a certain number of fielders have to be inside the fielding circle, there is now a four-over powerplay at the start before, in the words of the official Big Bash blurb, “the batting side chooses when to take control” with the “two Power Surge overs any time from the 11th over onwards”.

In other words, instead of six overs at the start, it’s now four and the other two are taken from the 11th over onwards. As I was saying, much ado about nothing.

‘X-Factor’ (hey, dig the original name btw) is a more significant change in that both teams can, after 10 overs of the first innings, “drastically change strategy and choose to sub in their X-factor player”.

The official blurb states: “The X-factor can replace any player who is yet to have a major impact on the match (hasn’t batted or bowled multiple overs).”

The ‘Bash Boost’ (if you are still wide awake) is a change to the points system whereby, instead of four points for a win, it is now three plus an extra point for the side that is ahead on score comparison at the 10-over mark of the run-chase.

If scores are tied, then the point is split, with each team getting 0.5 points.

According to Alistair Dobson, head of BBL: “The Power Surge, X-Factor and Bash Boost prioritise high-scoring, exciting cricket, introduce new strategic angles and ensure there’s always something to play for throughout the entire match.”

Trent Woodhill, the tournament’s player acquisition and cricket consultant, maintained: “What it will do is force coaches to start looking at what they’re going to do. I reckon that’s powerful.

“I can’t wait for the day where a coach subs a player after one over – players and coaches will hate it at times, but now there’s no hiding place.”

Know what you mean, for there really is no hiding place from this sort of thing.

The game’s gone – we might as well admit it – and turned into something that has no correlation with what might be called “cricket”.

In fact, it should really be called something else – Cricball, maybe, or Circusball. Or maybe even just Balls.

For this, indeed, is cricket for halfwits, an appeal to the lowest common denominator, with its sad slogans and relentless descent into the world of light entertainment.

It is also yet another example of the complexity of cricket.

Barely a day seems to goes by without some sort of change to the rules which makes it difficult enough for people who follow cricket to keep up – let alone those non-cricket followers for whose benefit so much of this appears to be inspired.

T20 can work well.

It works in England, for example, where the T20 Blast has become a successful competition, albeit with too many matches.

Even those of us who do not particularly care for T20 accept that it has its place, and it generates valuable funds for the counties as well.

But concepts such as ‘Power Surge’, ‘X-Factor’ and ‘Bash Boost’ are entirely absurd.

If the authorities are not careful, they will end up killing T20 through the proliferation of such drivel and the glut of fixtures that already threaten to slay the golden goose.

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