Dubai: Australia’s Big Bash League ushers in the New Year with a fantastic month of T20 cricket. Played over the festive period before concluding in January, the BBL has been a pioneer in re-inventing the shortest format of the game to bring viewers ever closer to the action. The umpires cam, illuminating LED stumps and mic’d-up players are prime products of the Big Bash that we have been accustomed to across the world.

February will welcome the return of the Pakistan Super League (PSL) for its second season, to be played in Dubai and Sharjah. The highly anticipated competition was an instant success in its first year - attracting some of the biggest names in T20 cricket as well as providing a platform for emerging cricketers to make their mark. While the league matches will be played in the UAE, which has a sizeable ex-pat Pakistan crowd with fierce city-based loyalties while Lahore has been pencilled in to host the final – a historic moment for the league if security measures are cleared.

Following the PSL comes the biggest of ‘em all - the Indian Premier League. Having set the benchmark in franchise cricket, the IPL is known as the melting pot for international cricketers to integrate with local talent in the sub-continent. Founded in 2008, the IPL has been extremely successful and possibly the only league in the world where you will see the likes of Eoin Morgan, the England limited overs captain or the New Zealand skipper Kane Williamson warming the benches for their teams due to the depth of foreign talent in the league.

Often overshadowed by corruption and match-fixing, strides have been made to counter these issues and project what is most important - the quality of cricket.

The biggest party in cricket, the Caribbean Premier League (CPL) opens its doors from the end of June to the first week of August. The CPL is known for its extraordinary atmosphere, the energy and buzz provided by passionate fans at the grounds. They may not attract the biggest crowds to the stadiums but in terms of TV audiences, they are second only to the IPL. West Indian cricketers are the most sought-after players when it comes to franchise cricket - and the CPL provides the likes of Chris Gayle, Dwayne Bravo or Carlos Brathwaite (the young firebrand who won the Caribbeans their second T20 World Cup last year with a flurry of sixes) a stage to engage with local cricketers to develop the sport further in the nation.

England’s NatWest T20 Blast has gone through rapid changes every year to make it more attractive in a football-loving country. Having introduced the first ever Twenty20 tournament back in 2003, the nation has struggled to provide other tournaments a run for their money. Possibly the longest T20 competition, the Blast still has a long way to go to attract the biggest names in the business.

The Bangladesh Premier League returned last year after two years following match-fixing scandals. Held between November and December, the competition attracts seasoned T20 campaigners from across the globe in a bid to continue the trend of developing local players and encouraging the population to get behind the tournament.

South Africa have, meanwhile, proposed a new T20 League which will replace the current competition (previously known as the Ram Slam). The current format has failed to attract the world’s best players and homegrown players due to fixture clashes in addition to overlapping the BPL. Cricket South Africa hopes that this move will encourage the league to make strides to compete with the bigger leagues around the world.

Adrian Abraham is an intern at Gulf News.

2017 International T20 competitions calendar

Australia – KFC Big Bash (December 20 – January 28)

Pakistan Super League (February 9 – March 7)

Indian Premier League (April 5 – May 21)

England – NatWest T20 Blast (July 7 – September 2)

West Indies – Caribbean Premier League (June 29 – August 7)

Bangladesh Premier League (November – December)

South Africa – CSA T20 Challenge (November – December)