The head of Channel Ten's Big Bash League broadcast has weighed into the club-versus-country debate, saying the addition of Australia's international stars to the Twenty20 competition would make only a "marginal" difference to TV ratings.
BBL06 is heading towards its climax amid calls for Cricket Australia to create a window in its schedule so the likes of Steve Smith, David Warner and Mitchell Starc can play in the event – but the network says it is happy with the current arrangement.
Despite minimal involvement from Australia's best players, BBL06 has enjoyed arguably its most successful summer as fans around the country have voted with their feet and their remote controls.
Crowds in the regular season were up 8 per cent on 2015-16 to an average of 30,534, ranking the BBL average attendance fifth in the world behind the NFL (American football), Germany's Bundesliga (football), the EPL and the AFL. And there have been an average of 1.02 million viewers of Ten's broadcast of the home-and-away season. The network set a BBL semi-final ratings record for its coverage of Tuesday night's game between the Perth Scorchers and Kevin Pietersen's Melbourne Stars.
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The issue of the country's best players being made available for the BBL has again been a talking point this summer and will continue to be while international matches are scheduled alongside the domestic Twenty20 tournament.
CA remains committed to keeping international cricket as the priority, with one insider telling Fairfax Media franchises needed to get used to losing their best players to the national team just as states have in the Sheffield Shield.
Debate raged last week after Pietersen lashed out at CA for not releasing all-rounder Marcus Stoinis, who was carrying the drinks for Australia's one-day side, leaving the Stars without five of their best players for their last preliminary round game.
Former captain Ricky Ponting, who is part of Ten's commentary team, Stars captain David Hussey and Melbourne Renegades spinner Brad Hogg are among those calling for CA to allow their internationals to play in the BBL. India's stars are all available to play in the lucrative Indian Premier League whereas the country's three biggest names – Smith, Warner, Starc – rarely play in the event.
The Sydney Sixers' Steve O'Keefe was also involved in a tug of war between CA and his franchise while there was bemusement Chris Lynn was not allowed to play for Brisbane Heat two days before his ODI debut despite the matches being at the same venue.
The sight of Starc taking the new ball against Warner in the BBL would be a promoter's dream but Ten is downplaying the importance of having the nation's best players available, saying the mix of retired stars and up and comers created a "freshness" and "point of difference" to international cricket.
"I'm very comfortable with the way it is – you get the best of both worlds," Ten's head of sport David Barham said. "Would you love David Warner and Steve Smith, would it make a difference to ratings? Probably not.
"Truthfully, I'd rather have AB de Villiers and Virat Kohli play next year than a couple of the Australian players. You see the Australian players all the time – in Test matches, T20s and one-dayers.
"I don't want to sound disrespectful in any way to the Australian players; if it was possible, fantastic. Does it really matter? I'm not so sure."
Barham conceded better players would make for a better competition but added it "depends on how you define better".
"Could it be any more entertaining than it is? It's a pretty good entertainment product as it is. In a perfect world, they're all available but what we have now is working really well. I love celebrating what we have."
There will be another clash next year with the BBL scheduled alongside the Ashes and the ensuing ODI series against England.