The WBBL launches its 10th edition on Thursday night without superstar Perry as the Sydney Sixers take on the Melbourne Stars at North Sydney Oval.
The Sixers were found behind in the final against the Adelaide Strikes last year as well as in two matches of the regular season.
Under tournament rules, captains face a one-match suspension from their next WBBL match for a third over-rate offence, which would rule Perry out for Thursday night.
The Sixers and free-to-air broadcasters Seven Network have both asked for Perry’s punishment to be ignored as it is a new season, but were refused, the AAP has been told.
“The competition is governed by the conditions and rules of the game,” Big Bash boss Alistair Dobson told AAP during the season launch in Melbourne on Monday. “Everyone understands what those rules are, that’s the situation we’re in.”
The Sixers’ final upset came in a match broadcast on Seven, leading to long breaks in play for advertising breaks. But Dobson said it depends on the timing of the innings.
“The rules and playing conditions generally take all of this into account,” he said. “Match officials take into account that there is a unique element of the WBBL where there are certain different elements to the broadcast of games that do not count when played.”
Perry is disappointed to miss the opening match of the season, but refuses to criticize the situation.
“Sometimes it’s a really hard subjective measure to understand where time is gained and lost,” he said. “A big part of it is my management of the group in those high-pressure games.
“It’s something I can definitely learn from. It’s sad to miss the first game, but I knew the rules very well and that’s it.”