Melbourne Stars’ Pakistani leg-spinner Usama Mir ($124k BWL) looms as a potential POD but he could also miss early games, potentially unlocking cheapie Hamish McKenzie.
The Stars have doubles in Rounds 1 and 3, making them extremely relevant, particularly noting they play first in all 3 of the first 3 rounds, opening up the idea of picking cheap loop options.
So Mir’s availability and potentially unlocking McKenzie to play is important.
As Pakistan open their ODI series against Australia on Monday, it’s worth noting Mir isn’t in that squad, nor has he been named for their upcoming series against Zimbabwe (November 24 to December 5), having been overlooked by selectors.
Mir would miss the start of BBL|14 if he’s selected in Pakistan’s white-ball series against South Africa from December 10 to 22. Pakistani journalist Ejaz Wasim Bakhri has claimed he will be reinstated for that tour.
If Mir is out, the Stars’ next spin options are left-arm wrist spinner Hamish McKenzie ($69k BWL) and slow left-arm orthodox Doug Warren ($39k BWL). Mir is a right-arm leggie, so they’re all different types of spinners. Throw in Round 1 lock Glenn Maxwell ($247k BAT/BWL) who bowls right-arm offies and is the big winner among all this.
All three are currently owned by less than 4% of coaches each, so there’s huge point of difference value in them, with the Stars’ fixture and likely need for a tweaker.
Mir only played 5 games in BBL|13, but averaged 42.2, taking 5 wickets in 5 games with an outstanding economy rate of 6.64.
The Pakistani leggie also averaged 39.7 SC points per game in The Hundred this year, as well as 62.3 SC points in the 2024 Pakistani Super League.
In 2023, Mir was a revelation in UK’s Vitality Blast, averaging 80.73 SC points per game for Worcestershire, helped by some big hitting in his lower-order role at 8.
Warren is relatively new to the scene, while there’s hype about McKenzie, who just couldn’t get a game for the stacked Scorchers, but took a 2fa in his ‘debut’ at the Stars home ground, the MCG, last season which is worth note.
