Impact Player Rule in BBL

The X-factor player rule was introduced by Cricket Australia ahead of the 2020-21 Big Bash League (BBL) season. The X-factor player rule was brought along with the ‘Power Surge’ and ‘Bash Boost’ rules for the 10th season of the BBL.

The X-factor player rule can be simplified as the method of substitution of a player. According to the rule, the 12th or 13th player from the squad can come into the play after the 10th over of the first innings.

The player shall replace someone from the playing XI who hasn’t been much active in the game. For instance, a batter can come and replace any player who is yet to bat, and a bowler can replace someone in the field who hasn’t bowled more than one over.

The replacement player is allowed to bowl his full quota of four allotted overs even if the player he replaced had bowled one over. It should be noted that this rule can be utilised according to the team’s benefit and there is no mandate for either side to follow it.

The teams didn’t take advantage of the X-factor player rule as soon as the season kicked off. It took at least nine matches for the rule to be employed in a game between Adelaide Strikers and Hobart Hurricanes in Launceston.

On December 15, 2020, Strikers and Hurricanes became the first team to implement the X-factor player rule in the history of the BBL. Spin bowlers Danny Briggs and Johan Botha became the first players to be substituted by under the X-factor player rule on a pace-friendly pitch at Launceston.

Adelaide Strikers replaced the left-arm spinner Briggs, who had bowled one over and conceded 15 runs from it, with all-rounder Matthew Short. On other hand, Hobart Hurricanes replaced South Africa’s Johan Botha, who was yet to bat in their innings, with spin bowling all-rounder Mac Wright.

On December 16, 2020, Melbourne Stars replaced their leg-spinner Tom O’Connell, who conceded 15 runs in one over, with wicketkeeper-batter Ben Dunk during their game against Perth Scorchers. The impact couldn’t be decided as the match got washed away by the rain showers.

According to a report by Cricbuzz, the X-factor rule was the least utilised rule among the three rules introduced in the 2020-21 season. One of the reasons mentioned was that teams didn’t have many options in their squad as Australia’s national team was engaged with India during the summer.

In the 2020-21 BBL season, a total of 24 times did all eight teams used the substitution rule and two of those instances were forced by injuries. Chris Lynn-led Brisbane Heat had activated the most X-factor players (8) followed by Hobart Hurricanes (4). Out of the 24 substitutions, 20 were made by the team bowling first.