AS THE Melbourne Renegades prepare to host their first home match tonight, the team's chairman, James Brayshaw, says he is bewildered by suggestions the Big Bash League is floundering.

Attendance levels for the first two matches, in Sydney and Melbourne, were roundly criticised, but subsequent matches in Adelaide, Perth and Brisbane all attracted decent crowds. The latter, for the Brisbane Heat-Melbourne Stars match on Tuesday night, attracted 29,241 - a record domestic-match crowd for the Gabba.

Brayshaw said any negativity towards crowd numbers was more than offset by the league's robust television ratings. The former first-class batsman, who also chairs AFL club North Melbourne, argued Cricket Australia was ''probably due a few more pats on the back and a bit less negativity about what a big opportunity this is for cricket in Australia to really shine''.

''I just think it's an unbelievable success story that so many people go to what is a glorified domestic product,'' he said.

''I don't really understand where the negativity comes in, to be honest. I reckon it's a brilliant product … it's a privilege to be involved in it and I can't wait for us to be part of what is a really big, emerging league in this country.

''To have the fourth-highest ever watched on pay TV product is just a huge credit to the league. I think it's a great result and it just shows how healthy it is.''

Brayshaw said he was optimistic about the league even before the strong response to Tuesday night's match at the Gabba, where Shane Warne excelled.

''We just need to understand how incredibly hard it is to get 25,000 to 30,000 people into a ground in December, when Christmas is around the corner … to get them all to come along and watch the game [in Brisbane] was just phenomenal,'' he said.

While the Renegades have played only one match, their dire run rate, courtesy of their 67-run hammering by the Adelaide Strikers, has increased the importance of them winning their first home match tonight, against the Perth Scorchers. The visitors are also coming off a bad loss but have been boosted by the availability of Boxing Day Test squad member Shaun Marsh, whose performances in the field will shape whether he makes the Australian Test XI for the match against India.

Brayshaw lamented the absence of batsman Brad Hodge for tonight's match but backed other players in the squad to step up while he was out.