The Perth Scorchers named their 16-man squad for Saturday’s game against the Sydney Sixers, the first of their Round 2 double, but also Monday’s trip to face the Hobart Hurricanes.
SQUAD NEWS
Lance Morris ($62k BWL) wasn’t named in the Test XI but hasn’t been included in the Scorchers’ squad, nor Steve Eskinazi ($105k BAT).
Jhye Richardson ($149k BWL) has been named and Scorchers captain Ashton Turner declared he will play. He said: “Jhye will play. Unfortunately he’s been hampered by his heel but he bowled well this week & given the workload of 4 overs, he’s fit to play.”
Scorchers: Turner (c), Agar, Bancroft, Behrendorff, Connolly, du Plessis, Hardie, Hatzoglou, Hobson, Inglis (vc), Kelly, Lyth, McKenzie, Richardson, Tye, Eskinazi
Players to miss out: Morris, Green, M.Marsh
The Sixers confirmed a 16-man squad with Afghanistan right-arm fast bowler Naveen-ul-Haq ($105k BWL) signed as a replacement for the injured Chris Jordan ($125k BWL).
Naveen, who will likely be priced at $105k, was part of Afghanistan’s T20 World Cup squad, taking 3-21 against Australia. He joins out of the Lanka Premier League where he’s taken five wickets in five games for Colombo Stars, having claimed 10 dismissals in eight Abu Dhabi T10 League games recently.
Sixers: Abbott, Bird, Christian, Dwarshuis, J.Edwards, Henriques (c), Hughes, Kerr, Murphy, Izharulhaq Naveed, Naveen ul-Haq, O’Keefe, Patterson, Philippe, Silk, Vince
UPDATES
Pat Cummins confirmed the Australia XI for the first Test against South Africa starting on Saturday, with Scott Boland preferred to Michael Neser ($107k BAT/BWL), potentially freeing him up for the Brisbane Heat’s Round 3 double.
The Heat’s games on their double are on Wednesday in Geelong against the Melbourne Renegades and next Friday in Brisbane against the Adelaide Strikers.
Nic Maddinson ($138k BAT) impressed as an opener in the Renegades’ opening game against the Heat on Wednesday. On his move to open, Maddinson said: “That came via Brad Hodge and Sakes. They chatted with Finchy to get him to attack the spin in the middle overs. Being at the top of the order I just tried to give myself every opportunity I could.”
Matt Renshaw ($136k BAT/BWL) is also free to return for the Brisbane Heat, having missed Thursday’s game against the Renegades with his wife Josie giving birth to their first child Charlotte.
Usman Qadir ($105k BWL) has arrived in Sydney, applying selection pressure as the Thunder’s third import. He boarded a flight from Pakistan on Thursday, having played in the Pakistan Cup this week.
