KFC SuperCoach BBL: What the Ashes squad means for selection, international cricket schedule
Australia’s extended squad for the Ashes and tour games is out and it has huge ramifications for KFC SuperCoach. Here’s what it means for some popular selections.
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Australia’s selectors have thrown KFC SuperCoaches a huge curve ball by including the game's second most-popular cheapie in the Australia A squad.
In one of the most significant talking points for KFC SuperCoaches from Wednesday’s Ashes squad unveiling, Matthew Renshaw was chosen in the Australia A squad which will play an intrasquad fixture and tour game against the England Lions.
As of Wednesday morning, only Aaron Finch ($62k BAT) was more popular than Renshaw of this summer’s KFC SuperCoach cash cows.
Renshaw had been selected in 46.8 per cent of teams as of Wednesday, but has been given a chance to try and revive his Test career.
Renshaw, a $67k BAT-BWL in KFC SuperCoach, featured in almost 50 per cent of teams who had an eye on the Strikers’ Round 2 double.
Should he be involved against the England Lions from December 9-12, the earliest Renshaw would feature in the BBL would be December 21 against the Sixers — missing the Strikers double.
Sean Abbott ($169k) will miss the Sixers’ Round 1 double, as expected, after being chosen for Australia A.
He was edged out of the Ashes squad by Scorchers quick Jhye Richardson ($201k BWL), with the No.1 KFC SuperCoach scorer from last season now unlikely to feature until the later stages of the BBL.
Well back to the drawing board! 😂#SuperCoachpic.twitter.com/5EiU0ErFY9
— Azza (@azzajewell) November 17, 2021
There is still a chance Abbott could be added to the Ashes squad, depending on how quickly Michael Neser recovers from a hamstring injury.
Mark Steketee (Aus A) and Mitch Swepson (Ashes) will also miss the Heat’s Round 1 double. Josh Inglis (Aus A), Mitch Marsh (Aus A) and Ashton Agar (Aus A) should be available by Perth’s Round 4 double, although KFC SuperCoaches will now need to trade that trio into their teams rather than starting with them as many had planned.
Here's five talking points for KFC SuperCoach from the extended Ashes squad:
1. Hobart’s pace-bowling situation
Scott Boland is a big loss for the Hurricanes considering he’s been one of the form quicks in the Sheffield Shield and such a crucial part of their bowling line-up in recent seasons. Joel Paris seems a certainty to play his first game in purple if he recovers from injury by Round 1, with fellow KFC SuperCoach cheapie Josh Kann also in the frame to debut. What will be interesting to see is whether Hobart opts to sign a replacement player for Boland. A paceman such as Lawrence Neil-Smith, who has nine wickets in four Sheffield Shield games this season for Tasmania, would be hugely popular in KFC SuperCoach if signed.
2. Which Scorchers should you start with?
As of Wednesday morning, the three most-popular KFC SuperCoach selections from the Scorchers (Round 4 double) were Mitch Marsh (44.9 per cent of teams), Ashton Agar (29.9 per cent) and Josh Inglis (20.7 per cent). That trio has all been chosen in the Australia A squad. With Liam Livingstone and Jason Roy unlikely to return, that leaves four spots open at the top of the order for Perth. Local talent Nick Hobson will reportedly sign for BBL11, but KFC SuperCoaches would now be wise not to overcommit on Scorchers. Target Stars instead for Round 3 and then plan to use three trades to grab Marsh, Inglis and Agar prior to Round 4. Lance Morris and Matthew Kelly will need to be considered if they feature in Round 1.
3. Jack Wildermuth will be a must-have for Round 1
KFC SuperCoaches were flattened by Wildermuth’s inclusion in the Australia A squad last season, which robbed us of one of the best cheapies of BBL10. But that won’t be the case again, pending an injury hitting this year’s Australia A side. That means at $155k, Wildermuth should be one of your first-picked players. He’s going to have to step up without Mitch Swepson, Mark Steketee and Michael Neser.
4. How about the Brisbane Heat cheapies?
No Mitch Swepson, Michael Neser, Mark Steketee or Marnus Labuschagne means there will be huge opportunities early in BBL11 for some of Brisbane’s fringe players. Xavier Bartlett appears ready to step up after being given a taste of BBL action last season, while Englishman Ben Duckett will fill Labuschagne’s void in the top order. Matt Kuhnemann is a player to watch and could emerge as the first-choice spinner without Swepson, while it would be a huge bonus for KFC SuperCoach teams if Connor Sully featured early. Tom Abell won’t be available until mid-December after being chosen for the England Lions.
Alex Carey and Matt Renshaw leave two gaping holes in the top-order for Adelaide, which has already confirmed its squad for BBL11. Harry Nielsen will take the gloves in Carey’s absence, but solving the Renshaw issue will be another thing altogether. Do the Strikers line up like this at the start of BBL11? Weatherald, Short, Nielsen, Wells, Gibson, Garton, Khan? Renshaw’s absence makes Matt Short a very real option as a KFC SuperCoach cheapie, especially with Adelaide playing twice in Round 2.
HOW WORLD CRICKET WILL IMPACT BBL SELECTION
Staying on top of what is happening, and when, in the cricket world is critical to KFC SuperCoach BBL success.
The big one this year is the Ashes in Australia, with many stars set to miss parts, or all, of BBL11.
But it’s not the only series on the international cricket calendar that is set to cause issues for KFC SuperCoach BBL.
While there is still much more to play out, as the T20 World Cup draws to a close and squads are finalised, The Phantom guides you through what fixtures you need to be aware of.
THE ASHES
December 8-12: First Test
December 9-12: Tour Game, Australia A v England Lions
December 16-20: Second Test
December 26-30: Third Test
January 5-9: Fourth Test
January 14-18: Fifth Test
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WHO COULD BE MISSING
Australia
All the big names are set to miss most of the BBL with the Test series running the length of the KFC SuperCoach BBL season. The first Test at the Gabba starts three days after the BBL11 opener and the final minor round BBL fixture takes place a day after Perth Test concludes.
Australia won’t finalise its squad until later this month, potentially after a practice match, which could decide the final make-up of the side. But, those on the fringe – think BBL stars Travis Head, Alex Carey, Michael Neser, Matthew Wade, Sean Abbott, Mitch Swepson, Moises Henriques Josh Philippe – are likely to feature in the England Lions game, if they miss out on the first Test.
An appearance for Australia A is just about the only reason not to star Philippe, given the Sixers play every round of the tournament.
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There’s Usman Khawaja, too, who has put himself back in front of selectors’ eyes with two centuries to start the Shield season.
“Khawaja has to be right up there. You can’t score that many runs and not be in the conversation,” Former Test opener and Victorian head coach Chris Rogers said on SEN this week.
“It might come down to who plays the best in the Australia versus Australia A game.”
With Round 3 starting on Sunday, December 12, some of those names are likely to miss at least the first two rounds of the KFC SuperCoach BBL season.
Unfortunately, for those nine per cent of KFC SuperCoaches, it’s time to forget someone like Marnus Labuschagne altogether – for the moment, anyway.
There’s plenty still to play out, and we’ll have you covered right here.
For some insight, this was the Australian Test squad for the South African Tour in February, which never went ahead: Tim Paine (c), Sean Abbott, Alex Carey, Pat Cummins, Cameron Green, Marcus Harris, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Moises Henriques, Marnus Labuschagne, Nathan Lyon, Michael Neser, James Pattinson, Will Pucovski, Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc, Mark Steketee, Mitchell Swepson, David Warner.
England
We know more about the travelling English contingent and there isn’t too much to worry about – yet.
Gun imports from last summer’s BBL Dawid Malan and (Hurricanes) and Dan Lawrence (Heat) have been named in the Test squad but they had not yet signed on for BBL11, anyway.
Star all-rounder Tom Curran has, though, and looks set to be available for the entire tournament after missing last year.
Sam Billings fielded for England in the fourth Test against India but he is not part of the initial 18-man squad, either, so he’s all clear to run riot in the middle-order for the Thunder.
And Curran’s teammate at the Sixers, James Vince, is only white-ball relevant at this stage of his international career.
Heat signing Tom Abell, a batting all-rounder who boasts a career T20 strike rate of 144.94, replaces Tom Banton in Brisbane but he’s in line to take on Australia A, potentially ruling him out of the early rounds.
England’s Ashes Squad: Joe Root (C), James Anderson, Jonathan Bairstow, Dom Bess, Stuart Broad, Rory Burns, Jos Buttler, Zak Crawley, Haseeb Hameed, Dan Lawrence, Jack Leach, Dawid Malan, Craig Overton, Ollie Pope, Ollie Robinson, Ben Stokes, Chris Woakes, Mark Wood.
WHO STEPS UP
At the Strikers, the likely absence of Carey and Head, could pave way for cheapie Matt Renshaw, who made 120no for Queensland in the Shield last week, to bat further up the order, after a disappointing debut season in Adelaide.
Michael Neser has moved to the Heat for BBL11 but if he’s missing early, along with fellow quick Mark Steketee – who was picked in that Test squad for South Africa – Jack Wildermuth becomes the man in Brisbane, providing he officially signs on for this year’s tournament.
If Khawaja forces his way into the Aussie side, the Thunder batting line-up is likely to be an inexperienced one.
Former captain Callum Ferguson, who has joined the KFC SuperCoach BBL team this summer, tipped cheapies Ollie Davies and Matt Gilkes to take on more responsibility in BBL11.
Ferguson also suggested Daniel Sams could feature earlier in the innings.
AUSTRALIA V NEW ZEALAND
January 27: Warm up-game -CA XI v New Zealand
January 30: First ODI
Given KFC SuperCoach will not run through the BBL finals this year, Australia’s limited-overs series against New Zealand shouldn’t cause any issues. The Blackcaps’ warm-up match against the CA X1 is scheduled for January 27, eight days after the final minor round game of the BBL.
ENGLAND v WEST INDIES
January 24: First T20I
This could be a different story, however, with the first of five T20I starting on January 24. Confirmed BBL starters Curran, Billings, Duckett and Vince are all a chance to feature in England’s squad for this tour, and would need time to make the trip to the Caribbean and prepare, meaning their availability for the final few KFC SuperCoach is, at this stage, up in the air.
And if previous BBL imports Liam Livingstone, Jason Roy, Phil Salt and Will Jacks, just to name a few, return this summer, their late-round availability would have to be monitored, too.
It’s a similar story with West Indies T20 guns Nicholas Pooran, Andre Fletcher and Keemo Paul, who have also made their mark in the BBL.
PAKISTAN v BANGLADESH
December 4: Second – and final – Test starts
He’s not yet locked in for BBL11, but Harris Rauf, who has featured for Melbourne Stars, could be in the mix for this tour. And it’s one to keep in mind if any further Pakistan internationals are announced for the BBL.
INDIA V SOUTH AFRICA
Dec 17- Jan 19
At this stage, this is another series KFC SuperCoaches are unlikely to have to worry about. David Miller starred for the Hurricanes in BBL09 and he is the only player to have featured in the tournament that is part of South Africa’s current T20 World Cup squad.
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Originally published as KFC SuperCoach BBL: What the Ashes squad means for selection, international cricket schedule
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