JASON GILLESPIE has labelled England’s NatWest T20 Blast as “an amazing product”, but believes it can be even better after spending time at the Big Bash.

Yorkshire’s coach is soon to return to Headingley after two months working in Australia with home town team Adelaide Strikers, who were beaten semi-finalists earlier this week.

The Australian domestic competition is fast becoming the envy of world cricket, especially English cricket.

There are many critics who believe our Blast tournament is a long way behind.

But Gillespie is refusing to jump on that bandwagon, even though he does accept that there are things the ECB can learn.

Speaking before heading back to Yorkshire for the latter stages of pre-season, Gillespie said: “The NatWest T20 Blast is an amazing product, but I think a lot of people acknowledge that it can be tweaked and be even better.

“I don’t have an answer for that as much as I’d love to.

“There’s talk of having franchises, there’s talk of having a block of cricket. These are decisions for the administrators.

“What I will say is that the T20 Blast can be improved, but to complement what it is at the moment.

“We’ve had some brilliant crowds at Yorkshire. I think we were 40 percent up on our crowds in 2015 at Headingley. The 7pm start time, we’ve got the new lights. It’s a bit more accessible, and we see a lot of families come in.

“They’ve got to try and find what the best solution is for the tournament.

“As long as the administrators have good conversations with the stakeholders - ask the fans what they want and get them to paint a picture - I think we will get some good answers.”

Gillespie has been blown away by his first first hand experience of the Big Bash, which regularly saw Adelaide attract crowds of 45,000 plus.

The competition, which finishes tomorrow with a final between Melbourne Stars and Sydney Thunder, is already guaranteed an overall crowd attendance above one million.

“Having watched the Big Bash on Sky, you could see how big it was,” he added. “But being here in the flesh to experience it, it’s been unbelievable. It’s certainly exceeded my expectations.

“Adelaide Oval getting crowds in excess of 45,000 for each of our home games is unbelievable.

“We saw in the Melbourne derby, 80,000 people at the MCG. Those are just ridiculous numbers.

“It’s a special tournament and lots of fun. There’s a real buzz around Australia about it, and it’s been a real privilege to be a part of.

“The price point (approximately £10 general admission), I think families can come along. A good competitive price.

“Accessibility is important. I think free to air TV is a massive deal breaker. Being able to sell it to the masses is absolutely crucial.

“The product is just outstanding. You have these wonderful young cricketers going out there and showcasing their skills and putting on a show, you can’t beat it. It is fantastic entertainment.”