Freshly minted Hobart Hurricanes skipper Nathan Ellis says the shortening of the Big Bash League is a good move that will still allow the best team to come out on top.
The 29-year-old quick was appointed to the role on Thursday, replacing Matthew Wade who will lead Australia in a five-game Twenty20 series against India before the BBL starts.
Ellis, also part of the India tour squad, filled in for Wade in two games last season and won both.
"I'm going in a bit bright eyed and bushy tailed with not much experience in the captaincy space," the quick told reporters.
"I'll be leaning on the vast experience I have around me.
"I probably am the benefactor of not knowing what it will look like in terms of the pressure and the workload but ... one thing I am really passionate about is the Hurricanes."
Ellis supports the decision to shorten the BBL, which will shrink from 56 regular-season games to 40 this summer - 10 per team.
"(The) 14-game tournament - it got a bit long. I think that showed with the crowd participation," he said.
"We weren't seeing the best players in the tournament for all the games.
"The benefit of having the better players here is only going to improve the BBL. I think it is still enough games for the best team to come out on top."
The Hurricanes have overseas players Corey Anderson, Sam Hain and Chris Jordan on board and recently signed Queensland-based duo Nikhil Chaudhary and Sam Heazlett.
Ellis said it was surreal working with Hurricanes' head of strategy Ricky Ponting on assembling the roster and he was determined to secure a maiden title for Hobart.
"When I was in South Africa we were doing the draft research, I found myself in pretty in-depth conversations ... (with) someone I grew up idolising and scoring triple centuries on Playstation with," he said.
