Cult BBL hero Adam Zampa is one of several players who will not play on Christmas Day in the future, insisting it is ‘out of the question’.
Playing the match on Christmas Day – something that usually happens in the USA – has long been floated for the BBL, and the players responded with their strongest indication ever that they would move from heaven to earth to make sure it doesn’t happen. .
The 30-year-old Melbourne Stars skipper and limited-overs specialist for Australia led his side’s defeat of the Sydney Sixers at the SCG on Boxing Day, and is open about his aversion to any future Christmas BBL matches.
Melbourne Stars skipper Adam Zampa, pictured bowling in his side’s loss to the Sixers on Boxing Day, strongly dismissed the push to have a BBL match over Christmas
‘I really don’t want to play on Christmas Day,’ Zampa told reporters after the game.
‘Our schedules are busy enough, especially for the Stars. Obviously the Boxing Day Test is on so we’re not in Melbourne, we’re quite far away this time of year.
‘Adding a Christmas Day game is out of the question.’
That’s despite the fact that BBL cricketers are now earning a healthy living, with the highest earning well into six figures from less than two months’ work.
And the fact that a very healthy crowd of over 7000 people attended the NBL Christmas Day game between the Kings and Melbourne United.
So well that the NBL is reportedly considering a double-header next year.
Due to the scheduling and limitations of indoor stadiums, it is fair to say that the BBL is more widely used throughout Australia than a 10-team basketball league that relies, like the NBA, on game saturation.
More than 7000 fans packed Sydney’s Qudos Bank Arena on Christmas Day to watch the Kings take on United – and many wanted to stay in the festive spirit
Santa Claus also made an appearance at the Kings v United match at Christmas, which was a hit with the kids
So a match on Christmas Day would be a boon for Cricket Australia as they seek big bucks for TV rights.
Negotiations have become tense as broadcasters look to save money on what they see as a diminishing product in terms of quality and popularity.
Sixers captain Moises Henriques, who was Player of the Match on Boxing Day against Zampa’s Stars, had a brutal response to any thought of using the successful NBL pilot as a blueprint for future Christmas BBL matches.
‘I didn’t even know basketball was being played on Sunday, so that’s news to me,’ he replied with a laugh after guiding the Sixers to victory.
‘I’m glad I didn’t play on Christmas Day, that’s for sure.’
Moises Henriques (right, pictured after guiding the Sixers home) was Player of the Match for his quick-fire 50 in his side’s win over the Stars on Boxing Day
The 35-year-old admitted that there might be a commercial case, and even had a useful suggestion for organizers considering it.
‘The money-making machine that is Cricket Australia, whatever they think is good for the game (this is what we should do),’ Henriques said.
‘More often than not, the players are behind it and will give it our best shot.
‘I’d say if it’s Christmas Day, hopefully we’ll use our brains and use Christmas Day as a local derby somewhere like the Melbourne-Melbourne game or the Sydney teams so the guys don’t have to be away from their families on a day like that,’ Henriques said.
In a different way to Zampa, Henriques understood the reality that BBL cricketers make a lot of money, and it should be open to let the organizers who pay them take it.
Moises Henriques lifts the 2020 BBL trophy for the Sixers. The veteran is realistic that a Christmas game can become a reality for players
However, the Sixers skipper said that while it is not a big sacrifice for the players because they earn a lot of money, it requires many stadium staff, caterers, security and broadcasters to be away from their families.
Christmas has become the final frontier for cricket.
Boxing Day is, of course, reserved for the biggest Test of the year, while the BBL is played every other day with Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve in the busy summer schedule.
But the non-stop nature of modern cricket means players rarely spend time with their families, which is why Zampa is opposed to the idea of playing at Christmas, with Cricket Australia’s CEO saying Nick Hockely is certainly being considered by the governing body.
Busy schedule is one of the reasons why T20 specialist Marcus Stoinis did not come to Sydney for the Boxing Day game; instead opting to stay in Perth to be with his family ahead of Thursday’s match against the Scorchers.
Veteran Nathan Coulter-Nile also sat out the game to spend time recuperating with family, and Zampa defended the decisions to allow them to rest in the face of a wave of criticism.
Australia’s star skipper and representative Adam Zampa believes the cricket schedule is busy enough without adding in a Christmas game
‘I’ve also taken the Christmas Eve games off just because we travel a lot,’ she said.
‘It’s a long 14 game seasons and you want people coming in fresh and feeling their best. Sometimes just not.
“If you’re traveling the world trying to see your family on the other side of the country and coming back four hours later to try to play, it’s about managing bodies, especially guys like ‘Coults’ and ‘Stoin ‘ who had issues with their bodies.’
The Sixers will look to capitalize on their momentum when they take on the Renegades on Wednesday, while Zampa and his Stars, who are second to last on the ladder, will look to turn their season around against the Scorchers on Thursday.
