Big Bash hubs to become a family affair

Melbourne Renegades coach Michael Klinger is already making plans to use long breaks between games early in the BBL season to “freshen up” his captain Aaron Finch so he can play the entire tournament.

Finch will arrive home with a planeload of Australians from the Indian Premier League this week, do 14 days quarantine in Sydney, then go into a hub for a six-game series of ODI and T20 games against India.

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The Aussie limited-overs captain, who has been away from home since heading to England in August, will then be required for the Renegades just four days after the final T20 against India.

Klinger said Cricket Australia had opened the international hub for families to join players and the same would go for the BBL, a move that could be crucial to ensure the mental wellbeing of cricketers this summer.

“Finchy comes back any day now into the Aussie hub. He’ll be able to spend some time with his wife during that series, and hopefully they get some time in that set-up to freshen up as well,” Klinger said.

“I’ve got a big emphasis on player wellbeing and player welfare … that’s going to help performance as well. We have to make sure we look after them really well and get their families around them when we can.

“It looks like there will be a period where families; wives, kids and partners can come in, potentially over the Christmas period, that will definitely help.

“I have some ideas to freshen particularly Finchy up. We have two six-day breaks in that first day period. I don’t expect to see him much. He doesn’t need the training or the cricket, he’s been playing enough.”

Klinger said he would tap into AFL coaches as well as his assistants in the WBBL hubs to help navigate playing in the new environment this summer.

The restrictions, mainly around allowing families into Australia, made the luring of international players to the BBL more “challenging” this summer.

South African batsman Rilee Rossouw has been confirmed as the Renegades’ third and final overseas signing, with their squad now complete.

“It threw up a heap of challenges with the 14-day quarantine, and then all of a sudden international boards are trying to get their own cricket going, series are popping up here and there,” Klinger said.

“Our philosophy was to, where possible, get players who were available for the whole tournament.

“I’m really happy with the group we got, and we strategically went for them.”

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