Marcus Stoinis was crowned the Big Bash League (BBL) Player of the Tournament in the previous season.
'Power Surge', 'X-factor Player' and 'Bash Boost' are the three new rules that have been introduced by Cricket Australia for the tenth edition of the Big Bash League (BBL) which starts December 10.
The 'Power Surge' will consist of a two-over period where the fielding side is allowed only two fielders outside the inner ring. The batting side can take it at any given time from the 11th over of the innings onwards. Meanwhile, the powerplay at the start of the innings has been reduced to four overs.
The 'X-Factor player', named as either the 12th or 13th player on the team sheet, can come into the game at the 10th over of the first innings and replace any player who is yet to bat or bowled no more than one over.
The 'Bash Boost' is a bonus point which will be given midway through the second innings. The side that is chasing down the target will be awarded with the bonus point, "if they're above the equivalent 10-over score of their opposition". However, if they're trailing, the fielding side will receive the point. A team can now score four points every game as the points awarded for a win in general has been increased to three points from two previously.
The rules have been designed to "encourage and reward positive, high-scoring cricket".
"The Power Surge, X-Factor and Bash Boost prioritise scoring, exciting cricket, introduce new strategic angles and ensure there's always something to play for throughout the entire match," said Alistair Dobson, Cricket Australia's Head of Big Bash Leagues.
"We're confident our fans will love what these innovations bring to the game as many of the world's top T20 players, plus our next generation of Australian stars, bring them to life on field," he added.
Trent Woodhill, the Big Bash League's player acquisition and cricket consultant, observed: "The best T20 leagues across the globe are the ones that continue to innovate, push the boundaries and challenge the status quo. The introduction of these new playing conditions firmly puts the KFC Big Bash League in that category.
"There's now more emphasis on the role of the coach, more for our fans to look forward to and more for our broadcasters to speak to during each KFC BBL game. Despite the challenges of this winter, we've got more star overseas players coming to the KFC BBL than ever before and now an ambitious set of innovations to shake up the league. I can't wait to see our players and coaches embrace these new concepts," he added.
