The Big Bash League is known for bringing new forms of entertainment and innovation to cricket each year, but not everyone is happy with the latest addition to the Aussie T20 competition.
The Brisbane Heat opened the 2023/24 season at the Gabba on Thursday night with a crushing 103-run victory over the Melbourne Stars.
But it was the curious addition of a celebrity to bowl the first ball that raised the eyebrows of many fans as they slammed the BBL for copying American sports.
The ceremonial throwing of the first pitch is a distinctly American tradition, with the likes of Kanye, Bill Murray, Snoop Dogg, pop star Taylor Swift and American presidents including George W Bush and Ronald Reagan throwing down the first ball at MLB matches over the years.
So the BBL decided it would try to emulate that tradition and make it part of the Australian summer of cricket, enlisting ARIA-winning pop star Amy Shark from the Gold Coast to bowl the first ball between the Heat and the Stars.
Hip-hop legend Snoop Dogg (pictured) is one of the many celebrities to have thrown out the first pitch for an MLB baseball game in the United States
It was a promising start as Amy Shark charged in to bowl the first delivery, but even she thought the end result was a bit cringe
The ‘Adore’ singer showed up in her trademark platform shoes and baggy jeans, coupled with a Brisbane Heat shirt, and attempted to keep the first ball on the pitch.
However, the delivery showed that Shark would be better off sticking to music.
She could have a laugh about the situation, but many cricket fans weren’t having it.
‘We baseball now?’ one fumed.
‘Can we stop copying America please?’ asked another
‘America called. They want their cringe back’ posted another unhappy supporter.
Others compared the ball to the infamous John Howard delivery that still features in cricket blooper reels.
The former Prime Minister was in Pakistan in 2005, visiting Australian and Pakistani troops who were helping assist locals to recover from an earthquake.
He was filmed rolling the arm over in hilarious fashion, with the ball hitting the pitch about a foot in front of him.
Some believe Shark’s delivery was of the same calibre.
‘Is that John Howard’s daughter?’ one fan asked.
‘Johnny Howard’s areas’ added another.
‘Need to work on that line and length, Amy,’ another suggested.
While Shark’s effort was not fantastic, other fans said they had seen worse at the Gabba, with one drawing back memories of the infamous Steve Harmison first delivery of the 2006-07 Ashes series.
‘Outside off stump line, better than Harmison back In the day,’ pointed out one follower.
‘Rory Burns would nick that,’ another posted in a playful swipe at the English cricket team.
