Laurie Evans: How the Big Bash League can remain competitive against other tournaments around the world

We’re coming towards the end of the Big Bash League and the tournament is really heating up.

At the Scorchers, we have a blockbuster home match with Melbourne Stars to finish off — and then some finals — and we can’t wait.

With the ILT20 tournament at the start of the Big Bash and the SA20 in South Africa at the end of it, the league sits in a really competitive market. There’s always going to be cricket on, so you might not always get the Nicholas Poorans of the world, because there is just too much money elsewhere.

But you just need to look at the crowds and the coverage it is getting to know where the BBL sits. If you look back five or six years ago, the crowds were way down, certainly in Melbourne in Sydney where there are two teams.

It’s great that someone like England star Sam Curran has come here. Getting guys like that to come out and experience it is the first step to having them commit to a full schedule.

I think shortening the BBL back to 10 games from 14, as it was when I first started playing here, has been a great move.

It allows more of the best international players to stay and finish the tournament, rather than racing off to other competitions and adds a sense of jeopardy to every single match along the way.

For players, it is a nice fly-train-play-fly routine which is nice to have while you’re abroad.

I think they should still try and work towards getting the tournament done inside a month, or at least five weeks. But those in charge of the game are trying to balance that with everything else going on.

Having the end of the tournament played with Australia’s Test players — 15 of the best cricketers in the country — has lifted the standard. Sydney Sixers have Mitchell Starc and Steve Smith back in their ranks and all of a suddenly they look really dangerous.

Privatisation is now on the horizon for the league. While I don’t think it is an absolute necessity, I do believe it’s inevitable now.

The Scorchers have built an incredible identity based on homegrown talent, being a tight-knit group and the passion of local fans. It has a distinctly West Aussie feel to it, which could be at risk with privatisation.

But there are also reasons for that to make us quite optimistic, too.

If you want to try and construct a tournament where the best players are coming here, then I think private ownership will help. You’re still going to have to compete with other tournaments, so time will tell if it works or not.

Our crowds have been epic this season and we love playing at Optus Stadium. We get another opportunity to do it in a massive game on Saturday night.