KFC SuperCoach BBL: The Phantom’s team revealed

There’s been changes but the Phantom has put the finishing touches on his KFC SuperCoach BBL team just in time for the start of BBL10. Here is where our guru is at.

The time is now, my friends.

With the BBL10 opener only one sleep away, it’s time to put the finishing touches on your KFC SuperCoach team.

That’s exactly what I’ve been doing for the past week and I’m finally ready to share.

Of course, some final tinkering may occur when we know more about the Round 1 line-ups but this is where I am at.

Andre Fletcher in action for the West Indies. Picture: Phil Walter/Getty Images

WICKETKEEPERS

Andre Fletcher (Stars) $138,000

Bench: Baxter Holt (Thunder) $42,000

Cam Bancroft (Scorchers) and Peter Handscomb (Hurricanes) occupied the on-field wicketkeeper spot for most of the pre-season. And I still like both, especially given the Hurricanes’ Round 2 souble.

But when an experienced international T20 gun, who opened the batting for the West Indies in the recent series in New Zealand and will feature twice in the opening round is put in front of you, can you say no? You cannot. And that’s why Fletcher has made the final cut.

Holt appears to be the perfect loophole option, while I’m happy to wait and see if the likes of Josh Philippe and Sam Harper can back up their impressive BBL09 campaigns.

MORE EXPERT TEAMS

SHANE WARNE

TIM MICHELL

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MIKE HUSSEY

LAST YEAR’S WINNER

Will Jacks is almost a KFC SuperCoach BBL lock. Picture: Mitchell Gunn/Getty Images

BATSMEN

Marcus Stoinis (Stars) $185,700, BWL

Will Jacks (Hurricanes) $148,000, BWL

Chris Lynn (Heat) $131,900

Colin Ingram (Hurricanes) $125,000

Usman Khawaja (Thunder) $115,000

Bench: Max Bryant (Heat) $67,800

Ashton Turner (Scorchers) $62,500

Stoinis and Jacks have been locked-in from the outset. One of the best T20 players in the world featuring twice in the opening round and the star of England’s Vitality blast, who will be here all summer - how can you say no? Khawaja’s too cheap to pass up and Ingram will be important for the Hurricanes without Malan in the Round 2 double. I couldn’t look past Lynn’s recent form, either, so I’ve pushed Glenn Maxwell into the bowling group. Aaron Finch (Renegades) is another who I see carrying his international form into the BBL - and he could be a huge point-of-difference in Round 1. But I can’t fit him in...yet.

PLAYER RANKINGS: THE PHANTOM’S TOP PLAYER IN EVERY POSITION

The Phantom's KFC SuperCoach BBL team

BOWLERS

D’Arcy Short (Hurricanes) $245,200, BAT

Glenn Maxwell (Stars) $185,00, BWL

Adam Zampa (Stars) $184,100

Nathan Coulter-Nile (Stars) $138,600

Dan Christian (Sixers) $105,000, BAT

Bench: Dilbar Hussain (Stars) $62,500

Jack Wildermuth (Heat) $62,500

Nathan Coulter-Nile, left, and Glenn Maxwell are likely to have a big say in Round 1 of KFC SuperCoach BBL. Picture:Michael Dodge/AAP

If you leave out D’Arcy Short to begin, will you be able to get him in for the Canes’ double next round? It’s very, very unlikely, especially if you’re also trading in Rashid Khan after the Strikers’ bye. And, yes, you should be doing that, too. Going without Short and Khan in a double-game round is KFC SuperCoach suicide. Zampa in a double speaks for itself and Coulter-Nile’s performance in the IPL final (2-29) has me convinced on his value for now. Value is a good word for Christian, too, while Stars recruit Hussain could be worth an on-field spot in Round 1.

Riley Meredith (Hurricanes) and Danny Briggs (Strikers) are the men to make way. I like the Hobart quick but there’s better value and I had to fit Maxwell in here. Briggs is another who I will look to trade hin after the first lockout but I’m all in for the opening round at this point.