Cricket 2026 Big Bash League

Former Aussie Test skipper Ricky Ponting has welcomed a slew of new rules announced for next season's Big Bash League.

But he also conceded he would have been "embarrassed" to have ever used one of the rules himself.

The tournament on Thursday night announced teams in the 2026-2027 BBL would be able to name a 'Designated Fielder' and a 'Designated Batter' as a part of their XII.

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As the name might suggest, the designated batter does not field, while the designated fielder does not bat. While neither are allowed to bowl, the designated fielder is allowed to be the wicket keeper.

Ponting said the "interesting" rules were brought in to "try and keep some of our ageing stars in the tournament a little bit longer", and pointed to Chris Lynn and Mitch Marsh as examples.

Renowned as being one of the best fielders in the history of the game, Ponting laughed when asked if the rule would have extended his own playing career.

"It's all very foreign to me – I'd almost be embarrassed to not be out there to give back something in the field," he said on Seven.

"Fielding was such a big part of my game ... if I missed out with the bat, I would want to make an impact on the field."

After his retirement from international cricket, Ponting played for the Hobart Hurricanes in the first two BBL seasons.

While he wouldn't have put his hand up to be the designated fielder, Ponting conceded it would be ideal for tired Test stars wary of picking up an injury.

"Someone like Travis Head, a returning international player who has had a big summer already, I'm sure if you asked Heady now if you would like to turn up and bat only, and not worry about fielding to pick up an injury, that might be appealing to him," Ponting said.

"Some of these guys might be at a stage of their career where they feel they can't make much of an impact or they might be worried about picking up an injury in the field.

"What this tournament doesn't want is to have these guys not playing, especially at this stage of the tournament when the big games are coming around, everyone is at home and school holidays are still on, we want to be seen the best players play.

"So if this rule helps that and keeps the longevity up, then that's great."

The move isn't cricket's first foray into substitute players.

Under the ICC's 'Super Sub' concept introduced in ODIs in 2005, captains announced an extra player before the toss, either a batter or bowler.

However, it was wildly unpopular because the outcome of the toss virtually dictated whether or not the player would be used. Teams who named a bowling substitute were heavily disadvantaged by bowling first and vice-versa. It lasted just nine months before it was scrapped.

The BBL also introduced its own super sub rule for the 2020 season. Learning from the mistakes of the ICC rule, the BBL's 'X Factor' allowed skippers to name two subs – a batter and a bowler – and could swap them out at the 10-over mark of the first innings.

The Brisbane Heat used the rule the best, having Xavier Bartlett open the bowling, bowl his four overs, and then sub him out for a batter. It, too, was scrapped after just two seasons.

The IPL also has a broader 'impact player' rule, which allows a player to be subbed for any other at any point in a match.

Ponting said the new designated fielder would be a good option for teams to blood young players, and give them experience playing in front of a big crowd and a TV audience.

Speaking alongside him, Glenn Maxwell agreed, recalling his early days as a sub-fielder for Victoria.

"Certainly for a young player, I know when I got the experience to field with the Victorian side and not really have to bat or bowl, it was the highlight of my week to get the opportunity to be part of the state team," he said.

"To play domestic cricket and be around change room as a young player, it could be really exciting for young guys getting opportunities to be out there on the ground."

Ponting said the fielder rule could also be used tactically for a wicketkeeper, especially if their batting isn't yet up to scratch.

"There's a lot of good young wicketkeepers around Australia now that probably haven't got the T20 batting skills just yet, but to get them involved in that sort of environment, get them on a contract, get them out there in the middle under pressure in the heat of the battle, then they come out of the game and the batsman comes in, that might be something that teams think about as well," he said.

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