With the BBL Draft completed and SuperCoach opening next month, we’ve put together a story to review the past six months of the BBL off-season on a club-by-club basis.
Melbourne Stars
Ins: Tom Curran (Sydney Sixers), Ben Duckett, Hamish McKenzie (Perth Scorchers)
Outs: Dan Lawrence, Haris Rauf, Imad Wasim, Nathan Coulter-Nile (retired)
It’d been a relatively quiet off-season for the Stars until the BBL Draft. Peter Moores will stay on as head coach, while Marcus Stoinis re-signed way back in late January.
They’ve landed English all-rounder Tom Curran from the Sixers, along with left-arm wrist spinner Hamish McKenzie from the Scorchers. The Stars brought in left-handed English opening batsman Ben Duckett to bolster their top order and retained Pakistani spinner Usama Mir. Curran and Duckett’s signings should help their constant stop-gap measures like Imad Wasim and Dan Lawrence.
Squad:
Batsmen: Ben Duckett, Hilton Cartwright, Campbell Kellaway, Tom Rogers
Wicketkeepers: Sam Harper
All-rounders: Tom Curran, Glenn Maxwell, Marcus Stoinis, Beau Webster
Bowlers: Scott Boland, Usama Mir, Hamish McKenzie, Joel Paris, Mark Steketee
Perth Scorchers
Ins: Finn Allen, Keaton Jennings, Matthew Hurst, Mahli Beardman
Outs: Laurie Evans (Melbourne Renegades), Zak Crawley, Steve Eskinazi, Hamish McKenzie (Melbourne Stars)
Adam Voges’ side have moved to shore up their problematic top order with the addition of NZ blaster Finn Allen, along with experienced English left-hander Keaton Jennings via the BBL Draft. Young English wicketkeeper-bat Matthew Hurst was also drafted, offering a back-up option to Josh Inglis who may be in Test contention.
That all comes with Zak Crawley and Steve Eskinazi not retained, plus middle-order bat Laurie Evans nabbed by the Gades at the BBL Draft. That impact should be lessened by a fit-again Ashton Turner.
Local right-arm quick Mahli Beardman has signed, plus exciting WA left-handed top-order bat Sam Fanning. Cooper Connolly and Nick Hobson also re-signed. Expect Andrew Tye to be their 17th signing, while Perth have declared Cam Green won’t fill their final squad spot, instead looking for a second spinner like Corey Rocchiccioli with Hamish McKenzie lured to the Stars.
Squad:
Batsmen: Finn Allen, Keaton Jennings, Ashton Turner, Nick Hobson, Sam Fanning
Wicketkeepers: Josh Inglis, Matthew Hurst
All-rounders: Mitch Marsh, Ashton Agar, Cooper Connolly, Aaron Hardie
Bowlers: Jason Behrendorff, Lance Morris, Jhye Richardson, Matthew Kelly, Mahli Beardman
Sydney Sixers
Ins: Akeal Hosein (Melbourne Renegades), Jafer Chohan
Outs: Tom Curran (Melbourne Stars), Steve O’Keefe (retired)
The perennial contenders have lost veteran spinner Steve O’Keefe to retirement along with English all-rounder Tom Curran, nabbed by the Stars, although he only played four games last season.
To cover O’Keefe’s retirement, the Sixers nabbed crafty left-arm West Indian spinner Akeal Hosein from the Renegades’ clutches in a major coup. Young English leg-spinner Jafer Chohan was taken with the last pick of the BBL Draft and feels a bit speculative.
Steve Smith and Dan Hughes both re-signed with the club earlier in the off-season, while English top-order bat James Vince was retained at the BBL Draft despite the Renegades trying to prize him.
Squad:
Batsmen: James Vince, Steve Smith, Moises Henriques, Jordan Silk, Daniel Hughes, Kurtis Patterson
Wicketkeepers: Josh Philippe
All-rounders: Jack Edwards, Hayden Kerr, Joel Davies
Bowlers: Sean Abbott, Ben Dwarshuis, Todd Murphy, Akeal Hosein, Jafer Chohan
Sydney Thunder
Ins: Sam Billings (Brisbane Heat), Nic Maddinson (Melbourne Renegades), Wes Agar (Adelaide Strikers), Lochie Ferguson, Sherfane Rutherford
Outs: Alex Hales, Gurinder Sandhu (Melbourne Renegades), Alex Ross (Adelaide Strikers), Zaman Khan
Trevor Bayliss re-committed for a fourth season at the Thunder despite last campaign’s wooden spoon. But there’s still been change in the off-season, led by not re-signing long-term opener Alex Hales. The full availability of David Warner – after he re-signed in August – is likely behind that decision, along with his ILT20 commitments.
English wicketkeeper-bat Sam Billings was lured back from the Heat as a pre-draft signing and has full availability in a major boost, given their weakness with the gloves. Batsman Nic Maddinson has signed from the Gades, while middle-order bat Alex Ross has left for the Strikers. Young batting gun Sam Konstas has re-signed and West Indian bat Sherfane Rutherford was drafted, which may fill their no.6 batting spot that was problematic last term.
Paceman Wes Agar was deliberately traded in from the Strikers to offer some extra bounce to their attack, which helps with Gurinder Sandhu’s move to the Gades. NZ quick Lockie Ferguson was drafted with pick three and could be a major get, leading their attack.
Squad:
Batsmen: David Warner, Cam Bancroft, Nic Maddinson, Sherfane Rutherford, Oliver Davies, Jason Sangha, Sam Konstas
Wicketkeepers: Sam Billings, Matthew Gilkes
All-rounders: Daniel Sams, Will Salzmann
Bowlers: Lockie Ferguson, Wes Agar, Liam Hatcher, Nathan McAndrew, Chris Green, Tanveer Sangha
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