Sydney Sixers head coach slams BBL final schedule: Details here
What's the story
Greg Shipperd, the head coach of Sydney Sixers, has criticized the congested scheduling of the Big Bash League (BBL) finals. He claimed that his team didn't even get a chance to train before their defeat in the grand final against Perth Scorchers. The Scorchers clinched their sixth BBL title with a dominant six-wicket victory on Sunday at Perth's Optus Stadium on Sunday. Here are further details.
Travel woes
Sixers's challenging travel schedule before finals
The Sixers faced an exhausting travel schedule, flying to Brisbane, Perth, Sydney, and back to Perth in just eight days. They lost the Qualifier to Scorchers in Perth on Tuesday but beat Hobart Hurricanes in Sydney on Friday night. Then they flew back to Perth on Saturday afternoon ahead of Sunday's title decider. Captain Moises Henriques was so concerned about this hectic schedule that he skipped a joint press conference with Scorchers's captain Ashton Turner on Saturday.
Scheduling concerns
Shipperd questions BBL finals scheduling
After the grand final loss, Shipperd expressed his displeasure over the hectic finals travel schedule. He said, "Some of the scheduling was not what we were looking for." He also questioned how elite sports allow teams to not train a day before a game. "You don't get a chance to train the day before the game, which I would have thought not many other sports are letting that happen at this elite level," he added.
Alternative suggestion
Shipperd suggests Monday for final
Shipperd also suggested that the final could have been played on Monday, as Australia Day is a public holiday. "If it was a holiday, yes, we could have played on Monday and given our team that sort of break to freshen up going into the game," he said. However, he clarified this wasn't a major excuse in light of the season's context.
Rain concerns
Shipperd questions decision to continue play amid rain
Shipperd also questioned why play wasn't stopped in the fourth over of Scorchers's innings as the rain started to get heavier. He said, "We thought that there was an opportunity to come off." His comments came after Steven Smith criticized the decision on Seven's coverage, saying, "There's no way we should be playing cricket in this. I've never played when it's been raining this hard. It's pouring."