SuperCoach BBL: Brisbane Heat Study Guide
Brisbane Heat have one of the top three priced players in the SuperCoach BBL game – and he’s never even played a match in the Big Bash League!
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Brisbane Heat have one of the top three priced players in the SuperCoach BBL game – and he’s never even played a match in the Big Bash League!
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But few players have the sort of history such as AB de Villiers – he’s been one of the greatest cricketers of his era, and will be a more than worthy international replacement for the retired Brendon McCullum.
At the other end of the scale, the Heat also have four players at a relatively low price point, and all four are serious opportunities to play … but at least two of them might be busy with international roles at the top order for Australia, with both Joe Burns and – in particular – Marnus Labuschagne strong chances to be busy with Test duties in the first few rounds of the BBL|09 season.
THE STAR: AB de VILLIERS | BRISBANE HEAT | BAT | no games | $225,000 in BBL|09
One of the biggest stars in the cricketing world for the last fifteen years, De Villiers did it all for South Africa – he debuted in Test cricket at just 20 years of age, and was soon a regular across all three formats for his country. He holds the record for the fastest 50 by South African in T20Is in just 21 balls, and has played franchise T20 cricket for Barbados Tridents, Tshwane Spartans, Rangpur Riders and Lahore Qalandars in leagues across the world, ahead of his maiden BBL sojourn this summer. He’s a brilliant player and one of the biggest international stars for this season. But, be warned: he’s only going to be here for the back half of the season.
THE BURN MAN: MARNUS LABUSCHAGNE | BAT / BWL | no BBL|08 avg. | $62,500
The danger of picking someone such as Labuschagne in your SuperCoach BBL squad is that he is, clearly, one of the form players in Australia following on from his outstanding Ashes performance. A half century in the most recent Marsh Cup match followed a glorious century, one half-hundred and one ‘good start; didn’t go on with it’ score. The likelihood is that he’ll be representing his country at Test level for the majority of the first part of the BBL|09 season and there’s every chance he may be added to the Indian tour for short-form play too, meaning he won’t be available for the majority of the summer for SC BBL players. If he is though, he’s as cheap as chips and has DPP status.
THE YOUNG GUN: SAM HEAZLETT | BAT | 8.0 avg. | $62,500
With 17 Big Bash matches under his belt, Heazlett only suited up three times for the Heat in BBL|08, and has as yet failed to crack the half-century mark. He bats at a healthy 116.94 Strike Rate, and his form thus far in white ball cricket this season has been strong, with four half-centuries from his first four appearances at the crease, going at a healthy 278 runs from 237 balls faced. He didn’t play in the most recent Queensland one-day match.
THE POINT OF DIFFERENCE: MATT RENSHAW | BAT | 47.4 avg. | $136,500
Renshaw has never been a fashionable short-form player, but his form in the back half of last year’s Big Bash season was very strong, which is why he is now so awkwardly priced. If you pick him, you want him scoring runs at the top of the order early in the BBL|09 season, and whether or not you have faith that he’ll do so is a big call to make, which would make him a serious POD pick for many SuperCoach sides.
MORE SUPERCOACH BBL NEWS:
> Adelaide Strikers Study Guide
> How dots can make SuperCoach BBL difference
> Which stars have started their white ball season well?
> Plan your season – when teams are on byes, who has double rounds, and international disruption
> Shane Warne’s star-studded SuperCoach team
THE BREAKOUT CONTENDER: JAMES PEIRSON | WKP / BAT | 20.7 avg. | $62,500
While there’s a chance that English import Tom Banton may don the gloves, Jimmy Peirson is the likely incumbent, entering his sixth season with the Heat. Once he does, he’ll bring up 50 BBL matches, and will be looking to improve his output – at 27 years of age, he should be entering his prime as a cricketer.
THE MID-PRICER: JAMES PATTINSON | BWL | 44.0 avg. | $126,600
Breaking down with injury in his first season with the Heat, Pattinson only claimed four wickets in five matches. Since then he’s been part of the Ashes-retaining Australian side, and his availability for Brisbane will be dependent upon his commitments at a higher level – there’s every chance that he could be a regular performer in BBL|09 if (and it’s an admittedly big if) his body holds together. At his best he’s a game-changing, wicket-taking fired-up gem of a quick. An alternative mid-price option would be Max Bryant, with the young batsman one of the breakout players last season.
BRISBANE HEAT BBL|09 SQUAD:
Originally published as SuperCoach BBL: Brisbane Heat Study Guide
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