The extravaganza that is the Twenty20 Big Bash League starts on Thursday evening with a massive derby between the Sydney Thunder and Sydney Sixers.
With a lopsided Test series in progress, the BBL will once again take centre stage on the Australian summer sporting landscape.
The Big Bash not only attracts the best players in Australia, although many will be on Test match duty, but the best players from around the world. That includes some of the West Indies best players who have decided to forgo the Test series against Australia to play in the Big Bash.
So which superstar players have your team got this year and how are they going to perform? Find out below in The Roar’s guide to the best players of the 20/20 Big Bash.
Adelaide Strikers
The Adelaide Strikers, after a strong season last year when they won the minor premiership before being bundled out in the semi-finals by the Sydney Sixers, have made a major step in recruitment for the season ahead signing former Sri Lankan captain Mahela Jayawardene.
Jayawardene was only signed within the last week, replacing Kieron Pollard who played for the Strikers last year but has been ruled out with a knee injury.
Jayawardene will be joined by the Strikers’ other overseas-based player English leg spinner Adil Rashid. Rashid has represented his country in all three forms of the game, although the signing is nowhere near that of the Sri Lankan legend.
He has played 55 international Twenty20 games for Sri Lanka, scoring 1493 runs and averaging an awesome 31.76 with the bat. He also has a strike rate of 133.18 and his experience will be invaluable to the Strikers’ squad.
Speaking of experience, Brad Hodge is going around again in Adelaide and between him and Jayawardene, will form one of the most experienced combinations in the competition. Hodge will also captain the Strikers.
Brisbane Heat
The Brisbane Heat have had some very good overseas players throughout the years. The best of them, without a doubt, has been Brendon McCullum. He was signed, sealed and ready to play again this year before pulling out just two weeks ago. He will be replaced in the Heat squad by West Indian T20 batsman Lendl Simmons.
Leg-spinner Samuel Badree will be the Heat’s other overseas players for the season ahead. He has played 22 games for the West Indies in international T20 cricket and holds a bowling average of 14.96 going at less than 5.4 runs per over throughout his career.
Badree is currently the second best T20 bowler in the world, ranked only behind West Indies teammate Sunil Narine. He was also supposed to play in the Big Bash last year for the Heat but ruled out through injury.
Hobart Hurricanes
The Hurricanes arguably have one of the strongest overseas pairings in the competition. Darren Sammy of the West Indies and former Sri Lankan wicket keeper Kumar Sangakkara.
Sammy, of course, is another West Indian. The all-rounder has captained his country on multiple occasions in all three forms of the game and still does so in the shortest form of the game.
While he averages 24.11 with the ball in T20 internationals, it is his strike rate while batting of 152 that makes him stand out the most as an excellent player in the short form of the game.
Sangakkara meanwhile, was at the forefront of Sri Lankan cricket, along with Jayawardene for well over a decade. As one of the most skilful wicket-keeper batsmen on the planet, he represented his country 134 times in the Test arena, 404 in the one day game and 56 in Twenty20 internationals. While he has retired from the international game, his experience will be massive for the Hurricanes.
On top of their strong overseas combination, the Hurricanes have one of the stronger line ups in the competition. Some of the best T20 players in the country, such as George Bailey, Ben Dunk, Daniel Christian, Shaun Tait and Cameron Boyce play for them and they look a strong chance this year.
Melbourne Renegades
The Melbourne Renegades will boast the most explosive opening batting partnership in the Big Bash this season as they welcome big-hitting West Indian Chris Gayle into the team. While he played three seasons for the Sydney Thunder, he now makes the move south to play for the Renegades. Joining him at the top of the order will be captain Aaron Finch. What an exciting prospect that is shaping up to be.
The other overseas player the Renegades have signed for the upcoming season is Dwayne Bravo, another West Indian. The all-rounder has been known as one of the best of the T20 circuit and will be of a massive advantage to his team.
After a short stint for the Sydney Sixers and then a season off, Bravo returns for his second season in Melbourne. Only playing four games last season, he took four wickets and scored 38 runs batting in the middle order. The pressure will be on him to perform better this season.
The Renegades are also joined by Netherlands international Tom Cooper, Callum Ferguson, Matthew Wade, James Pattison, Nathan Rimmington and Xavier Doherty making it hard to see them missing the finals.
Melbourne Stars
One of the longest-serving overseas players in the Big Bash will return for another season as Luke Wright sticks with the Melbourne Stars. He has played with the Stars in every episode of the Big Bash and been one of the real successes in the tournament.
Wright not only adds a lot of value at the top of the batting order, but also plenty as a bowler.
Sticking to what they had last year, Wright will be joined by fellow Englishman Kevin Pietersen. The big hitting, hard-talking Englishman has made his last year out of playing T20 cricket and has done a good job of it. He averaged 38 with the bat in the international Twenty20 arena, and is always a destructive force if he gets going.
Joined by the likes of David Hussey, Glenn Maxwell, John Hastings, James Faulkner and Peter Handscomb you have to wonder if it is finally their chance to break the duck and win a title.
Perth Scorchers
The Perth Scorchers have what may be seen as the weakest pair of imports in the tournament this year, with two players out of England – opening batsman Michael Carberry and pace bowler David Willey.
Carberry is best known for his hard-nosed defence at the top of the order for the England Test team. In saying that he has only played six Test matches, six one day Internationals and one international T20 match. He has proven himself on the domestic Twenty20 scene, though, averaging 31 at a strike rate of 120.
He also scored three half centuries last season for the Scorchers and was one of their best on the way to winning the premiership last season.
Willey has also represented England in the two shorter forms of the game, playing four 20/20’s and 10 One day games for his country. While Willey has a good average throughout his 20/20 career on the domestic scene, he does concede almost 8 runs per over, which could be troublesome for the Scorchers.
The Scorchers have some serious domestic talent on the books as well, with Adam Voges, Shaun Marsh, Mitchell Marsh, Cameron Bancroft, Nathan Coulter-Nile and the legendary Brad Hogg.
Sydney Sixers
The Sydney Sixers will be joined this year by former Adelaide Strikers captain Johan Botha. The South African who played three seasons for the Strikers switches over to the Sixers who have been one of the most successful clubs in the history of the Big Bash. Botha will be joined by Englishman Michael Lumb who, like Luke Wright, has been in the Big Bash for a number of seasons at the same club.
Botha, while known for his spin bowling, tactical smarts and lower order batting will be a key addition to the Sixers for the upcoming season. Lumb meanwhile, has shown everyone first hand the incredible exploits he can make at the top of the batting order, and the way he can take an attack down in a very short period of time.
The likes of Moises Henriques, Brad Haddin, Nic Maddison, Jackson Bird and Doug Bollinger will also be playing for the Sixers, making them an extremely formidable outfit.
Sydney Thunder
The long time cellar dwellers of the Big Bash, the Sydney Thunder will once again welcome one of the most talented players to ever step on a cricket field with Jacques Kallis suiting up again. Now at 40 years of age, Kallis made some very strong scores in his first season of Big Bash, including 97 not out in the first game against Brisbane Heat.
It is scary to think a player of Kallis’ calibre would be challenged in the experience stakes, but Michael Hussey is also playing for the Thunder, creating some very challenging circumstances for opposition bowling attacks.
The Thunder will also be strengthened this year by the signing of Andre Russell. The West Indian all rounder moves from the Melbourne Renegades where he played four games last season, adding value every time he either batted of bowled.
For a struggling Thunder outfit, he will be a massive addition. Playing alongside names like Usman Khawaja, Shane Watson and Pat Cummins it could finally be the year for the Thunder to break the shackles.
Undoubtedly we are set up for another very strong Big Bash season! It all kicks off on Thursday and every game will be covered in our live blog right here on The Roar.
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