BBL 2022: Dan Christian offers free beer to COVID-free players for BBL final on Friday
Australia’s Big Bash League has been one of the most popular leagues around the globe. It is known for the great drama unfolding on the pitch. BBL has many things to offer, from raining sixes to fantastic bowling and fielding and apparently Dan Christian with his free beer.
This year has been no different. It has had great entertainment to offer, plus some unusual perks. For starters, Sydney Sixers was forced to play their assistant coach as a professional in their qualifier game.
Miraculously, they won that game, but their problem remains the same. They don’t even have 11 players to field in the final. Which leads us to the question, why is it the case?
Why does a team like Syndey, in a tournament like BBL, have to go through such a phase?
The answer to this lies in the ongoing pandemic situation in the country. Sydney Sixers currently has three players ruled out due to COVID-19. Their wicket-keeper Josh Philip, alongside Edwards brothers, Jack and Mickey, is out of the squad after testing positive for the Virus.
Furthermore, they have at least six players who are suffering from injury. This includes the likes of Moises Henriques, Steve O’Keefe, Jordan Silk, and Dan Christian. As a result, they face trouble fielding their 11 for the final.
Adding salt to the wound, Cricket Australia has denied the request of the Syndey franchise to include players from the International Test squad of Australia. It would have allowed Steve Smith to represent his team in the final.
Dan Christian’s unusual request for the BBL final
Following the adamant behavior of the Australian Cricket Board, Dan Christian decided to take the matter into his own hands.
The former RCB all-rounder took it to Twitter to post a Tweet in which he asked for players to play for Sydney in return for Beer.
“My team is struggling to get 11 covid free, fit players on the park. The warm-up starts at 0630 pm at Marvel Stadium. Free beer afterward…” the tweet read.
Several cricketers, including AB de Villiers and Jofra Archer, replied to Christian’s story. While de Villiers asked if he would get to bowl four overs (which is the full quota of a bowler in T20s), Archer (injured) asked if he could field in a substitute.
Sixers are four-time champions of the marquee tournament, and it will be a shame to see them lose in the final. Perth Scorchers definitely is the hot favorite to win the final on Friday.
