KFC SuperCoach BBL: We name the five players every team should pick for BBL13
The first ball of BBL13 is close – but there’s still time to enter your KFC SuperCoach BBL team. To help, we’ve identified the five players to build your side around.
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It doesn’t get much bigger than the opening round of SuperCoach BBL for BBL13.
In seven seasons of Australia’s favourite fantasy cricket game, we have never had a round like what’s in store to kick off the new campaign.
That’s because Brisbane Heat plays three times — yes, three times.
That early fixture has placed a premium on Heat assets and most KFC SuperCoaches will stack their teams with players from Brisbane.
That appears an obvious formula to make a flying start to SuperCoach, but it’s also important you don’t miss players who are underpriced and will appreciate in value quickly.
Rashid Khan would have been one of those, but his back injury has thrown another curve ball at SuperCoach teams.
It’s important to find the right mix between targeting doubles, triples and cash cows to get your team rolling and set yourself up for success in BBL13.
These are the five players every team should start:
1. Glenn Maxwell (Stars) $118,300 BAT-BWL
In seven seasons of KFC SuperCoach BBL, the Stars skipper has never been this cheap. The closest Maxwell came to his starting price for BBL13 was in the 2019-20 campaign, when he finished the tournament at $137,900. That gives you an indication of the bargain you’re getting this summer. Maxwell is the type of three-dimensional cricketer who is a KFC SuperCoach dream as he can score points with the bat, ball and in the field. He’s only this cheap after missing all of last season due to injury, which resulted in a significant price discount. To give you an idea of his pointscoring prowess, Maxwell finished BBL11 with hauls of 103, 138 and 219 in KFC SuperCoach. The Stars are one of the teams on the double in round 1 too.
2. Adam Zampa (Renegades) $131,900 BWL
The leg-spinner looks like one of the recruits of the off-season after his record haul of 23 wickets helped launch Australia to glory at the ODI World Cup. Zampa has crossed from the Stars to the Renegades but will still have a prominent role in a strong bowling attack featuring Mujeeb ur Rahman, Kane Richardson, Tom Rogers and Will Sutherland. The 31-year-old is already the most prolific spinner in Big Bash League history and the extra juice in the pitch for bowlers at Marvel Stadium should offer him even more assistance than he’s had in previous years. As long as the World Cup party hangover doesn’t drag into the BBL, he should be set for a huge tournament and is a must-have with the Renegades playing five times in the first three rounds.
3. Sam Billings (Heat) $116,900 WKP-BAT
Some would argue Ben McDermott should be in this spot considering he’s only $88,000. The Hurricanes don’t have a double until round 7 though and KFC SuperCoach BBL is all about maximising your returns by targeting the fixture. Instead of taking McDermott (who admittedly is underpriced), why wouldn’t you spend the extra $28k and pick English star Billings instead? His middle-order role isn’t ideal, as it means he relies on the top order failing to score maximum batting points. But considering Brisbane plays three times in round 1, you should expect at least two strong returns. And that’s more than enough to justify paying a price which is about $30k cheaper than he started BBL12. Billings will also keep for the first two matches of the tournament while Jimmy Peirson is playing for the PM’s XI.
4. Aaron Hardie (Scorchers) $178,300 BAT-BWL
You could justify having Jhye Richardson, Andrew Tye or Jason Behrendorff here too. But SuperCoach BBL scoring is geared towards all-rounders who can influence matches with bat, ball and in the field. Hardie was the leading run scorer in BBL12 and averaged 57.5 SuperCoach points despite only bowling 14 overs in 15 games – largely due to niggles. He’s so highly-rated he was opening the bowling for Australia in the recent T20 series against India and will play a much bigger role with the ball for the Scorchers. The Scorchers have limited options due to injury and availability early in BBL13 and many of those who are missing are all-rounders or bowlers. After Richardson, Tye and Behrendorff, Hardie looms as the next option Ashton Turner will look to. And that could mean bowling a full complement of eight overs in the round 1 double. Even with Brisbane’s triple, he’s a genuine captaincy option.
5. Spencer Johnson (Heat) $125,500 BWL and Michael Neser (Heat) $194,000 BAT-BWL*
The asterisk here is that both players aren’t guaranteed to line up in the season opener on Thursday. But if they do, lock them in to your side. Neser was set to miss the first two games of the BBL after being named in the Prime Minister’s XI to face Pakistan. But he withdrew on Monday with soreness which the Heat are hoping settles down in time for him to face Melbourne Stars. Neser was shaping as the most popular round 1 captaincy choice before the PM’s selection. The only query will be if his soreness stops him playing three games in six days, but that’s not enough to overlook him. Johnson hasn’t played since being injured in late September but he’s been involved in a lot of the Heat’s promotional work which suggests he might be ready to roll. At his price and with a dream role as a death bowler, he’s got to be in your side if he’s in the XI against the Stars. Like Neser, he might be a candidate to be managed through the hectic early schedule though.
*Pending round 1 fitness
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Originally published as KFC SuperCoach BBL: We name the five players every team should pick for BBL13
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