Victorian coach Greg Shipperd believes the upcoming Champions League Twenty20 could catapult a low profile state player onto the world stage.
The Bushrangers fly out on Friday for the inaugural competition starting next week in India which features 12 of the world’s top domestic sides, including three Indian Premier League (IPL) franchises.
Plans to stage the competition last year had to be abandoned because of security concerns.
Australia’s two representatives, Victoria and NSW, start with a double-header at Delhi’s Feroz Shah Kotla stadium on October 9, the Blues taking on South Africa’s Diamond Eagles, before the Bushrangers play star-studded IPL team Delhi Daredevils.
They are anticipating a crowd of about 80,000, including IPL scouts, plus millions of television viewers.
Shipperd said the likes of Aiden Blizzard, a sweet-hitting 25-year-old left-hander who excels at the shortest version of the game but is yet to establish himself for Victoria in the longer forms, could receive a career rocket.
“Aiden Blizzard is one player I know (IPL) franchises in India have been looking at,” Shipperd said.
“A good tournament could catapult him or any of our players that aren’t currently involved into the next tournament.”
Shipperd said strong performances on such a big stage would also enhance prospects of Australian selection.
“Everyone’s well aware of the David Warner story, in terms of his Australian progression and also his IPL progression,” Shipperd said of the big-hitting Blue’s quick rise to the Australian Twenty20 and one-day sides.
“That opportunity’s certainly there for a young Victorian.”
Blizzard is well aware of the opportunity.
“Being on a world scale, you are under the spotlight and the sky’s the limit if you can do well over there,” he said.
While Test cricket remains his ultimate goal, the growing opportunities in Twenty20, including the lucrative Indian event, have changed both his thinking and that of the Victorian side.
“Obviously Twenty20 cricket’s the big thing at the moment, so you do change and suit your game to Twenty20,” he said.
“Our pre-season this year has been largely based around the Twenty20 competition.”
Victoria’s batsmen will have to face regular team-mate Dirk Nannes, the fiery left-arm paceman contractually obliged to represent Delhi.
Bushrangers all-rounder Andrew McDonald said it was a situation that would become the norm for the modern cricketer.
“It’s a huge loss, but it’s something we’re going to have to get our heads around going forward,” McDonald said.
“It’s probably where the game’s heading, we can either fight against that or embrace it.”
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