Cricket Australia introduces five-team finals for BBL 2019-20

After the Indian Premier League introduced a play-off system which has more opportunities for the teams finishing in the top two, Cricket Australia have gone one-step ahead and formulated a new structure for the fag end of the tournament. In the play-offs the teams finishing fourth and fifth will play an Eliminator on January 30 while the teams finishing first and second will play a Qualifier on the next day.

The system follows the pattern of the winner of the Eliminator, who will take on the third-placed side on February 1 before the action unfolds on the next weekend. In 'The Challenger', the loser of the Qualifier will go up against the Winner of The knock-out to have a chance to get to the final on February 6. The final will be played on February 8 between the Winner of the Qualifier and the Winner of The Challenger. 

The system has been made keeping the CA’s ambition of making the tournament much fairer to the sides finishing in the top two, which the BCCI is following in the IPL. In six of the eight BBL finals so far, the team finishing at the top of the table has been knocked out in the semifinal which also promoted the decision. 

"If a team can go on a run like that at the end of a season, they probably earn the right to win it. You'd have to win four finals to win it from fifth. Also, another team being a part of it keeps the end of the (regular) season alive. We're really excited about the finals,” Cricket Australia's Head of the BBL Alistair Dobson was quoted as saying by Cricbuzz.

"The number one element is to give the best chance for the teams finishing first and second to make it through. We want to reward the teams finishing first and second as well as we can. (We want) more fans to be part of the finals and this model also gives us a chance for the team hosting the final to have more preparation. It's been a big focus to end the season in an appropriate fashion."

Cricket Australia also released the schedule as the tournament will start on December 17 with Brisbane Heat taking on Sydney Thunder in a home game as the tournament will go on for 42 days this time instead of 54 with 56 games being played.