SuperCoach BBL: Michael Vaughan's opportunity awaits – it's time for Warne to be hit out of the park

So Shane Warne thinks that he’s got this SuperCoach BBL season licked.

Fox Cricket commentator Michael Vaughan hard at work on the mic, giving some serious side eye...he doesn’t appreciate people looking at his notes for the SuperCoach BBL season

So Shane Warne thinks that he’s got this SuperCoach BBL season licked.

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Listen up pal; there’s more to SuperCoach than picking favourite players, highlighting spinners, and talking up the likes of Riley Meredith.

If you listen to my advice over Warnie’s, you should be looking to the quality international players that have made their way to Australia for BBL|09 to drive home a real advantage in your side.

James Vince is one of the sweetest strikers of the ball in world cricket

BATTING

Whatever you do to start this SuperCoach season, don’t sleep on Tom Curran. My fellow countryman was so good last season that he’s not just in my side but he’s my skipper too – with the Sixers having a heap of double match rounds in the first part of the season, it’s impossible to ignore him such is his quality of performance in the T20 format.

His teammate James Vince is another must-have – he’s the captain for Hampshire, he plays for England, he was part of the glory, glory that was England’s World Cup winning squad this season.

He replaced Alex Hales in that squad, who’ll be back down under for this season’s Big Bash League, playing for the Thunder, following previous stints with the Renegades, Strikers, and the Hurricanes. He is often regarded as one of the best T20 players in the world, and was the first English batsman to score a T20I century. The less said about him also being the first to be dismissed for 99 in both ODI and T20I formats the better!

Rounding out my batting line-up is local lad Josh Philippe, who has the added benefit of being able to switch between BAT and WKP, as well as playing for the Sixers, who have a heavy double match round schedule early on. I’ve got another Dual Position Player in the Heat’s James Peirson on the pine, as well as young Renegade Will Sutherland.

Tom Banton was adjudged the PCA Young Player of the Year for last northern summer

KEEPING

It’s a controversial call, but Tom Banton is available as both a WKP and as a BAT after spending a bit of time behind the stumps in the Vitality Blast for Somerset. With both Philippe and Peirson in my batting line-up, I’m confident that my ‘keepers are capable of making big scores, which is why I’ve gone for Jake Doran, a cheapie from the Hurricanes, on the bench.

SUPERCOACH BBL STUDY GUIDES:

> Adelaide Strikers SuperCoach BBL|09 preview

> Brisbane Heat SuperCoach BBL|09 preview

> Hobart Hurricanes BBL|09 preview

> Melbourne Renegades BBL|09 preview

> Melbourne Stars BBL|09 preview

> Perth Scorchers BBL|09 preview

> Sydney Sixers BBL|09 preview

> Sydney Thunder BBL|09 preview

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Mohammad Nabi at full stretch for the Renegades

BOWLING

The beauty of DPP players is that you can stash someone like D’Arcy Short from the Hurricanes in your bowling line-up when you know that they’re going to make the majority of their scores with the willow rather than when flinging the leather. Short can definitely do more than roll his arm over; it’s reasonable to expect that he’ll earn some points with his tweakers as well as with his lusty hitting. He’s absolutely worth his high price point.

The same is true of the Scorchers’ English import Liam Livingstone, who had an excellent Vitality Blast season for Lancashire – he’s more of a traditional all-rounder, and he should be batting high up in the Perth batting line-up as well as bowling his full quota of overs.

By comparison, the Renegades’ Mohammad Nabi is more of a bowling all-rounder, but don’t discount the impact he can have with the bat – last season he was outstanding when called upon to bat with guile, hitting the winning runs against the defending champions Adelaide Strikers after a 94-run unbeaten partnership with teammate Dan Christian.

Dale Steyn will be an integral part of the Stars’ start to the Big Bash League season

I’d love to have the latter in my side, but it’s important to strike while the iron is hot, which is why South African legend Dale Steyn is in my side from the get go – he’ll play the first six matches of the season with the Stars before he is expected to be selected to play for South Africa in its home matches this summer, and possibly longer if the Proteas’ selectors overlook him for the series against England.

Ben Laughlin is the most successful wicket-taking bowler in the history of the Big Bash, and his move to the Brisbane Heat is especially valuable for SuperCoach players as he has the double in Round 1. Like every man and their dog, I’m going with 17-year old wunderkind Jake Fraser-McGurk on my bench, alongside the rookie Hurricane quick Nathan Ellis.

So come on Shane; how’re you going to beat this side?

MORE SUPERCOACH BBL CELEB SIDES:

> Watch out Warnie – Isa is coming for you

> Mark Howard's one aim this SuperCoach BBL season

> The side everyone wants to beat: Warnie reveals his squad

ADD THE CELEBS TO YOUR SUPERCOACH LEAGUES: all celebrities playing the SuperCoach BBL game are now available to add to your leagues … stay tuned for more celebrity sides!

Originally published as SuperCoach BBL: Michael Vaughan's opportunity awaits – it's time for Warne to be hit out of the park