When building your SuperCoach BBL squad, one of the major dilemmas is fading (leaving out) one of the popular picks, or going with the grain. So we’ve analysed the pros and cons of the top five most-owned players.
Marcus Stoinis ($83k B/B, 64% ownership)
Pros
Big-hitting ability with bat, handy part-time medium bowler and often fields in dangerous spots with a strong arm, mean three modes of point scoring. The dream role is opening the batting and bowling 3-4 overs, which he can do.
He’s also ridiculously cheap after a down BBL|11, given his track record. Who can forget his 147 from 79 balls against the Sixers in BBL|09? He also gave us a reminder of his quality with 75* from 31 balls in the Stars’ final game in BBL|11, and blasted a match-winning 59* from 18 balls more recently for Australia against Sri Lanka in the World Cup, showing he’s still got it. And ‘it’ includes a high ceiling, given his ability to score lots and fast, equating to strike rate bonus points.
Also, the Stars have a double first up and he’ll be available all season with no ODIs clashing at any point. And did we mention his price, which is so low you could potentially carry him through their Round 2 bye.
Cons
He’s injury prone and not durable. In fact, it feels like Stoinis enters every BBL season under an injury cloud, impacting either his availability or ability to bowl.
He also dropped into the middle-order late last season for the Stars which he has done internationally and in the IPL, so that’s a flag to consider if they persist with that, impacting his balls faced, thus potential to score bulk runs.
Rashid Khan ($193k BWL, 53.8% ownership)
Pros
Arguably the best player in the BBL, with his leg-spin wizardry. Rashid has taken 81 wickets in 55 BBL games for the Strikers across five seasons. He had the third best SC BBL average of all players who played eight games or more last season, so he’s a high scorer who plays the majority of games.
Rashid is also uber consistent, with a BBL|11 season low of 25 and six 60+ scores, including two 100+, showcasing his impressive ceiling. Similarly in BBL|10, he never dropped below 45, with three triple-figure scores from eight rounds played.
Also, the Strikers have a double first up. And no bye until Round 5.
Cons
His price is high. He’s the ninth most expensive player available for SC BBL|12, and second-most expensive of those who’ll be available for the Round 1 double.
His batting isn’t really a thing anymore, usually blasting at best a six or four before getting out and seldom reaching the magical 20-run mark for SR bonus (he’s only done that once in the past two seasons). He should bat around 7-8, likely behind new signing Colin de Grandhomme.
He’ll leave mid-season, likely around Round 8-9 to play in the SA-20, although that shouldn’t prevent you from starting him.
Read our BBL|12 availability calendar, to check out all the comings and goings and clashes
Glenn Maxwell ($184k B/B, 53.8% ownership)
Pros
Just look back to the final round last season, where Maxwell scored 219 points after smashing 154* from 64 balls before taking two catches in the field. He has a Godzilla-like ceiling and he has a great track record in the BBL, averaging 63.6, 62.6 and 64.6 in the past three seasons.
‘The Big Show’ also has the ideal role, as a top-order batsman, who fields in dangerous spots and bowls a bit of part-time spin. He opened both the batting and bowling at times last season. He added 60 SC BBL points last season via catches too. Maxy is a genuine triple-method point scoring player. Hey, he’s averaging 54 SC BBL points at the ongoing World Cup and he hasn’t really got going!
He also had the third overall SC BBL points last season, which won’t be impacted by ODIs this season, with the South Africa series in mid-January cancelled. And he’s also got a double first up with the Stars.
Read our T20 World Cup SC BBL scores story
Cons
Maxy can be inconsistent. Those season averages are great, but they’re inflated by his monster scores, like his 237 and 219 in Rounds 3 and 13 respectively last season, which offset his five scores below 40. Can you take the good with the bad?
He also has the bye in Round 2, meaning if you start with him, you need a plan to trade him out, or carry him over the bye, which isn’t easy at his price. He’ll have a high breakeven too, so you may lose some coin with him, if planning to trade in Round 2.
Finally, Maxy hasn’t set the world alight with his batting at the T20 World Cup.
Daniel Sams ($179k B/B, 52.5% ownership)
Pros
First things first, Sams is the best and most proven all-rounder in a team with two doubles to start the season. Yes, no typo there, TWO DGWs.
Sams scored the second most SC BBL points last season, totaling 865 with a 61.8 average. He had the fourth best SC BBL average in BBL|10 with 65.2 and the season before that he accumulated the most points (1,164), and had the third-best average of 68.5. The point is, he scores bulk points, as he takes wickets and makes runs.
Sams does that with a dream death-overs role (where wickets often fall as batsmen hit out), combined with a batting position which hovers anywhere from four down to six or, at worst, seven. The Thunder like him coming in with approximately five overs to go to have a dash. He managed 400 points (including wicket bonuses) via wickets last season. But he also grabbed 70 points via catches.
Cons
Despite the lofty average, he’s only tonned up four times over the past two BBL seasons, meaning his ceiling isn’t overly huge. Those scores were 192, 107, 126 and 153. Sams’ 192 came when he scored a career-best 98* from 44 balls with the bat in Round 10 last season, which in all honesty, probably won’t happen again.
Sams’ death-overs role really is the key to his success, but the addition of fellow left-armer and England international David Willey does threaten that slightly, given he can handle those same overs. That’s something to monitor, along with the Thunder batting order, especially with Ben Cutting’s role looming as an unknown, meaning Sams could face less balls.
You know how we mentioned Sams has two doubles to start? He also has a Round 3 bye, so you’ll need to plan for that, especially if he bleeds money given his likely high breakeven to start.
Josh Philippe ($168k W/B, 42.9% ownership)
Pros
Every SC BBL squad needs two wicketkeepers and Flip has been in the top two glovemen for points scored every year in the past four seasons. Last season he was only bettered by Ben McDermott, who was SC BBL’s top points scorer overall. With neither having an early double and McDermott being $50k more expensive, Flip makes a lot of sense (and cents for coaches).
We know he’s a run machine, with the opening batting role where his style is conducive to strike rate bonus points, but he also gets loads of fielding points. Maybe it’s something about the Sixers’ style or spinners, but he had the most stumpings points last season (60) and second most catches points (120). In BBL|10, he had the 2nd most catches points (150) behind teammate Jordan Silk (160).
He started last season with scores of 168, 102 and 159 so that’s the ceiling. And he’ll be fully available with no bye until Round 9. With no outstanding wicketkeeper options on the Round 1 double, he stacks up nicely given the way he started last season.
Cons
Of this whole list, he’s the only one without a Round 1 double. In fact, he doesn’t have one until Round 5.
He was also inconsistent last season, having started the campaign on fire and rising to ridiculous price of $261k while averaging 107.3, before his drop in form saw him drop in price down to $123k at one point. He endured a six-game stretch without exceeding 50 SC BBL points once, which will linger in a few coach’s memories.
Flip is priced at $168k, which is a lot compared to Australian wicketkeeper Matthew Wade who is almost $50k cheaper but also doesn’t have any early double. There’s also Scorchers gloveman Josh Inglis who is a bargain at $87k and some may opt to carry him through Perth’s Round 1 bye for their Round 2 double.
