'Cricket needs to evolve': Calls for Canberra Big Bash team grow louder

National officials are currently exploring their options as they consider the best way to grow the Twenty20 competition.

Canberra appears to be in a battle for a licence with a New Zealand bid and left-field options such as Singapore and Indonesia, with a host of factors to be considered before a final decision is made.

Size of venue, broadcast appeal and the ability to develop players will all play a key role in the process.

Cricket Australia is yet to formally commit to expansion but is reportedly considering a new team for the 2025-26 summer.

The Canberra bid has faced criticism from NSW and Victoria who fear it will impact their reach and talent pool, while there are also concerns over the size of the commercial market in the capital.

Boorer, however, declared the region needs a team in order for the Big Bash to reach its full potential.

"We're in a strong position," he said. "We have the facilities, the management and coaching. All we have to do is activate the playing group, which being franchise cricket would be a combination of local players, Australian players and, like every club, a couple of imports.

"We would run the franchise with a focus to grow membership and it would be a great activity to sustain the growth of cricket in the ACT and underpin financially the growth of cricket so we're less reliant on funding streams from Cricket Australia each year.

"Cricket in Australia needs to evolve and develop. Greater Canberra and the region around it has a million people, we need to activate that to grow the game."

A Canberra team would be based at Manuka Oval, with the venue hosting the Sydney Thunder on a regular basis.

The ground also saved the Big Bash from a COVID shutdown in 2020-21, holding 13 games as state border closures threatened to derail the competition.

Despite the field's status as a world-class venue, there are concerns Manuka Oval is too small with a capacity of just 12,000 people and lacks the corporate facilities required for regular elite cricket.

Cricket ACT and the AFL are eager to work with the ACT government to build a new eastern stand and upgrade the viewing experience for fans.

Boorer, however, said this is not a requirement for Canberra to receive a BBL licence.

"Not initially," he said.

"The ACT government wants Manuka to be the best boutique cricket ground in the world and we're not far away from there at the moment.

"Over time we'd love to see a slightly larger capacity, maybe another 5000 people with stands around the other side of the ground and improvements to hospitality options for the sponsors. That would lead to higher revenue generation and would be great for the [new] club.

"We don't have to change too much, we already have a wonderful stadium, broadcasters love it because it looks great on TV and it's great for Canberra."

The chairman does not shy away from taking on the Cricket Australia powerbrokers in Sydney and Melbourne and has been outspoken in his desire for the ACT to be upgraded to full member status alongside the six states.

It remains a goal for Boorer, however he revealed the ambition has taken a back seat as he advances the push for a Big Bash team.

"We're realistic in our aspirations in that space and our end goal has never changed," he said.

"There are only two other sports in Australia where the ACT is not represented at the top tier of the governance structure and that's skateboarding and surfing.

"Cricket is now an Olympic sport and it's really disappointing we're not at the table. We're clear on our priorities and that's initially for a Big Bash franchise as a standalone team in Canberra and not have the Thunder move to Canberra because there is space for both the Thunder and a Canberra team in the Big Bash.

"After that, we can stabilise those activities, get that up and running and successful, then we can look to using that as a tool to say it's time for full member status."