The 2020-21 KFC Big Bash League is one week away so we’ve reached that point of pre-season where form is critical, replacement players get announced and clubs scramble for last minute signings.
It’s all standard fare for the BBL but it’s a lot to take in, so Honeyball has assembled all the key info in one place from a SuperCoach BBL perspective to hopefully help your planning.
Also we’ve had an unbelievable amount of cricket this week, so we’ve got a bumper form guide to round it out.
Also Honeyball’s SuperCoach BBL Magazine is OUT NOW! We’ve got an early bird special until midnight Monday 7 December for just $4.95 (less than a coffee, kinda). Purchase yours via this link.
INTERNATIONAL CALL-UPS
Jonny Bairstow ($175k WKP/BAT) withdrew from the BBL due to an England Test recall which the Melbourne Stars didn’t see coming. He’ll take a break back home after the current South Africa series before the Tests in January against Sri Lanka.
The uncertainty around Nicholas Pooran’s ($175k WKP/BAT) availability was clarified after he was named in the West Indies A team to play New Zealand A in two first-class games. Long story short, he’ll be available for six games after Christmas.
Hobart confirmed to Honeyball that Dawid Malan ($175k BAT) will be available for their fourth game on December 19, not Christmas onwards like the rest of the England players, as his commitments have wrapped up early.
Malan was only in England’s T20I squad, so he’s taken an earlier flight, will do his two-week quarantine and be ready earlier than the others.
INJURIES
Marcus Stoinis ($185k BAT/BWL) injured his side on Australia duty which has SuperCoaches stressing about his ability to bowl. The good news is he’s remained with the Aussie squad so it can’t be too bad.
Ashton Agar ($102k BAT/BWL) appeared to hurt his calf in Wednesday’s third ODI but batted through it, despite regular checks from the team physio. Watch this space.
David Warner’s groin injury may have a trickle-on effect from a BBL perspective. Already D’Arcy Short ($245k BAT/BWL) was brought into the Australia white ball squad (this won’t impact his BBL availability) but the selectors may add further cover in the Test squad if Warner isn’t fit for the First Test. Watch this space.
Mitch Marsh ($164k BAT/BWL) was withdrawn from the Australia A squad but still appears set to be available for the Scorchers from Round One, although only as a batsman. Word is he won’t bowl in the first half of the tournament.
UPDATES
New Hurricanes recruit Sandeep Lamichhane ($138k BWL) tested positive to COVID-19. He’s not due to be available until January so it shouldn’t affect his availability but let’s hope he gets well fast.
The Round One availability of Afghan quartet Mujeeb Ur Rahman ($115k BWL), Zahir Khan ($129k BWL), Mohammad Nabi ($191k BAT/BWL) and Ahmed Noor ($62k BWL) is up in the air after they only travelled to Australia from their homeland on Friday.
If you crunch the numbers, they’ll get out of mandatory 14-day quarantine on Saturday or Sunday 12-13 December, depending on when they actually landed.
Zahir’s Stars and Mujeeb’s Heat meet on Friday 11 December. Zahir’s Stars back up again on Saturday 12 December. Nabi and Noor’s Renegades play on Saturday 12 December.
SIGNINGS
We’ll go through all the signings and the implications of their additions on Friday, but briefly out of nowhere the Sydney Sixers landed West Indies captain and T20 gun Jason Holder ($175k BAT/BWL) for three games around Christmas.
The Sixers also added replacement players Justin Avendano ($62k BAT), Tom Rogers ($78k BWL), Lawrence Neil-Smith ($42k BWL) to cover for the injured Mickey Edwards along with rep pair Sean Abbott and Jackson Bird.
The Stars moved quickly to replace Bairstow, with the addition of West Indies wicketkeeper-batsman Andre Fletcher ($138k WKP/BAT) also known as ‘the Spice Man’. Melbourne also re-signed Dilbar Hussain ($62k BWL) after one game in BBL|09.
The Renegades also acquired Pakistani all-rounder Imad Wasim ($160k BAT/BWL) who is a genuine T20 star. He’ll be available from after Christmas onwards.
The Heat also confirmed replacement players Simon Milenko ($71k BAT/BWL), Lachy Pfeffer ($71k WKP/BAT) and Jack Wood ($42k BWL), who’ll cover for Marnus Labuschagne, Joe Burns and Mitch Swepson who are in the Test squad.
FORM GUIDE
There’s a HEAP to cover this week but we’ll start with international cricket.
Dawid Malan ($175k BAT) won the Player of the Series award in England’s T20I 3-0 sweep over South Africa, after scores of 19 (20), 55 (40) and 99* (47). Look out.
On the flipside, Tom Curran ($204k BAT/BWL) has found the going tough, with bowling figures of 1-55 (4), 1-37 (4) and 0-24 (2).
There’s further worries from the West Indies camp who lost two T20Is to New Zealand, with Keemo Paul ($125k BAT/BWL) battling for control when bowling, including numerous above-waist no-balls. He had figures of 0-64 (4) and 0-39 (3), including seven extras. Nicholas Pooran ($175k WKP/BAT) made scores of 7 and 1 and took two catches.
For the Aussies, Aaron Finch ($184k BAT) is in top form after scores of 114 (124), 60 (69) and 75 (82) in the ODI series against England this week. Glenn Maxwell ($185k BAT/BWL) eradicated any concerns about his IPL form with scores of 45 (19), 63* (29) and 59 (38).
A few other notes, Ashton Agar ($102k BAT/BWL) performed well in his lone appearance with 2-44 and 28 (28), while Moises Henriques ($100k BAT/BWL) bowled eight overs in two games, giving hope he’ll bowl in BBL.
Next to grade level, there were heaps of T20 matches played over the weekend and we’ll go through the key performances state by state.
Upon his release from quarantine after the IPL, Chris Lynn ($131k BAT) hit 20 sixes on his way to a remarkable 154 from 55 in Queensland’s T20 comp, while he also made 33 from 20 balls earlier on Sunday.
In the same team, Strikers recruit Matt Renshaw ($137k BAT/BWL) made scores of 95 (38) and 55 (29) and bowled six overs on Sunday, while he made 57 from 49 balls in Saturday’s two-day game.
Jack Wildermuth ($62k BAT/BWL) scored 85 (35) and 35* (23), while he bowled 0-21 (4) and 1-33 (4).
The Heat had some batting candidates put their hand up, with Jimmy Peirson ($69k WKP/BAT) blasting 91 (50) and 78 (48), while Sam Heazlett ($96k BAT) made 66 (35) and 66 (32).
Max Bryant ($67k BAT) could only manage 20 (15) and 18 (18), while in Saturday’s two-day game he made 18 from 20.
In NSW T20s on Sunday, Thunder youngster Oliver Davies ($42k BAT) crunched 116* (56) and 23 (14) on Sunday.
Sixers spinner Ben Manenti ($125k BWL) claimed 4-32 (4) and made 10* (2) in Sunday’s lone T20, while in Saturday’s two-day game he took 3-88 from 34 overs.
🤯 #LYNNSANITY 🤯
— Brisbane Heat (@HeatBBL) November 29, 2020
Fresh from two weeks hotel quarantine, @lynny50 belted 20 sixes in his 155 (55) in @qldcricket Premier Cricket this afternoon…#BringTheHeat #BBL10 pic.twitter.com/TsqddUB7yd
Ben Dwarshuis ($152k BWL) also impressed in Sunday’s T20s with an all-round display with 2-17 (4) and 58* (45).
Nick Larkin ($100k BAT) made 143 from 134 balls in Saturday’s two-day games, while Jack Edwards ($62k BAT) posted another century, making 108 from 177.
In WA T20s on Sunday, Stars batsman Hilton Cartwright ($115k BAT) smashed 67 (33), while cheap Scorcher Ashton Turner ($62k BAT) offered hope he may bowl this season with 2-22 (4).
Strikers middle-order bat Jonathan Wells ($138k BAT) amassed 163 from 257 in Saturday’s two-day WA matches too.
In Tasmania T20s on Sunday, some Hurricanes bats impressed, as Mac Wright ($154k BAT) made 71 (42) and 77* (65) and Jake Doran ($62k BAT) posted 88* (54) and 39* (51).
Canes all-rounder Tim David ($62k BAT/BWL) made 50 (44) and 30 (30) and took 3-10 (4) and 2-25 (4), while James Faulkner ($155k BWL) was excellent with 1-18 (4) and 2-8 (4).
Notably, Riley Meredith ($184k BWL) went wicketless across eight expensive overs.
Upon the return of Victoria’s 50-over games, Gades recruit Jack Prestwidge ($93k BAT/BWL) made 48 (51) and took 3-17 (5), while Will Sutherland ($79k BAT/BWL) took 0-30 (10) and hit 52* (48).
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What do you think of Hussain as an option? Not EXACTLY sure if you have a team, but let’s assume you have: did you put Hussain in over Stanlake?
At $62k with a DGR, seems a no-risk move to have him in squad.