SuperCoach BBL: What do you do when Khan won’t be playing in Round 5?

What a round that was in Round 4! The Sydney derby went to a super over at the SCG, the New Year’s clash at Adelaide Oval proved to be another thriller, but what will you do with Strikers on the bye?

Rashid Khan of the Strikers is showcasing his skill with the willow as much with the leather this Big Bash League season

What a round that was in Round 4! The New Year’s clash at Adelaide Oval proved to be another thriller, and while the rest of Australia burned, the much-anticipated clash between the Stars and the Hurricanes was rain-affected, with the Stars claiming the points via the Duckworth-Lewis-Stern Method.

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With Adelaide Strikers having the double, many had Rashid Khan as captain...but who’d have thought that his heroics in the second of their two matches would be not with the ball but instead with the bat! Dual Position Player status looms in BBL|10 if he keeps up this sort of form.

BOOM OF THE ROUND: RASHID KHAN | ADELAIDE STRIKERS | BWL | 145 points and 99 points

First with the ball and then with the bat, the Afghani wonder continues to wow audiences Australia-wide with his amazing aptitude and attitude. There are few players in the country who are as exciting as Khan, and few players in SuperCoach who are as easy to set-and-forget as a skipper selection no matter how many matches they are playing. But when he has a double? If you don’t pick him as captain in those rounds, then you’re really missing a golden opportunity to maximise your scoring capacity with the double double.

BUST OF THE ROUND: CAM WHITE | ADELAIDE STRIKERS | BAT | 2 points and 5 points

It’s one thing to not even crack ten points when you have the double round in your favour but YOU DON’T MESS WITH ANYBODY’S HOT CHIPS! Cam White, you might’ve just earned the bust of the BBL season, let alone the round. Disgraceful. Here’s hoping White bought the victim another bucket.

UNIQUE OF THE ROUND: ZAHIR KHAN | BRISBANE HEAT | BWL | 112 points | 2.6% ownership
Anything Rashid can do, Zahir can too? Like the Adelaide Striker, the Brisbane Heat spinner wows with the ball and the bat, claiming 2/18 from his full quota of four overs and then also blasting 19 runs from just 10 balls, hitting the boundary and clearing it once into the bargain. He might not have the big profile of his fellow Afghani in Adelaide, but the Brisbane-based bargain buy – at just $146,500 – looks like he’ll soon become a firm favourite of fans. Plus he can dance!

PLAYERS TO TARGET NEXT ROUND

It’s all about the Melbourne teams in Round 5, with both the Renegades and the Stars having the double in Round 5. But, be aware of what’s to come – the Stars go straight from the double in Round 5 to a bye in Round 6 and then ANOTHER double in Round 7. It might be a serious case of buy-trade-buy over the next three rounds.

SHAUN MARSH | MELBOURNE RENEGADES | BAT | 51.8 avg. | $160,400

Marsh failed once again in Round 4, only amassing 17 points against the Strikers. Is our faith in the former Australian representative at all levels tested? Absolutely! Are we ignoring that and backing him to bounce back with matches against Sydney Sixers and then cross-town rivals Melbourne Stars in Round 5? You betcha! The reason to target Marsh is because of his historic scoring capacity in the competition. At just over $160,000, he could be as cheap as he will ever be.

Glenn Maxwell is proving to be one of the player’s of the tournament so far

GLENN MAXWELL | MELBOURNE STARS | BAT / BWL | 79.0 avg. | $220,000 avg.

It could be a case of chopping and changing with Maxwell over the next few weeks, as the Stars have the double in Round 5 and 7, but split that with a bye in Round 6. Maxwell’s average and price has dipped from last round, primarily due to the Stars match-up with the Hurricanes being significantly reduced as a result of inclement weather. While the Stars still got the points thanks to the DLS Method, Maxwell missed out with the bat and the ball, only earning points thanks to taking a catch. If you haven’t already jumped on the Big Show, now is the time to do so.

DALE STEYN | MELBOURNE STARS | BWL | 51.5 avg. | $162,200

It’s now or never for Steyn – he is due to leave the Stars after they have played six matches, which will see him exit the Big Bash League at the conclusion of Round 6 of the SuperCoach BBL season. Thus far he has claimed three wickets in five overs bowled, which bodes well considering that he should – weather and injury-permitting – bowl his full quota of eight overs over his last two matches in the upcoming SuperCoach BBL round.

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PLAYERS TO AVOID NEXT ROUND

Clearly, the Strikers in your squad need to either be traded out or you need to work a way to get them on your bench – there’s no point carrying massive salary cap space as donuts when you can use your three trades, use ‘em or lose ‘em. But what about those players who will suit up throughout Round 5?

Sean Abbott is set to miss around a month of the BBL season with a side strain

SEAN ABBOTT | SYDNEY STRIKERS | BWL | 91.4 avg. | $232,600

Set to miss the ODI tour of India after suffering a ‘moderate’ side strain in Sydney Sixers’ super over triumph against Sydney Thunder, Abbott’s absence will be felt by the Sixers for around a month. It’s a big blow for the Sixers, with Abbott claiming the golden cap in the Sydney derby as the leading wicket-taker in the competition this season, with 11 scalps to his name. If you still have him in your SuperCoach BBL squad – and at the time of writing he’s still in XYZ% of sides – then it’s time to trade him out.

ALEX HALES | SYDNEY THUNDER | BAT / BWL | 39.2 avg. | $119,800

It’s feast or famine with Hales, whose highest score of 68 runs makes up over half of his total of 122 runs in five innings. The Englishman has represented a swath of Big Bash sides over the journey, and he’s never been a star at any of them. It’s impossible to have faith in anyone who has regularly failed to live up to expectations.

MARCUS STOINIS | MELBOURNE STARS | BAT / BWL | 53.8 avg. | $223,000

Injury alert! The DPP superstar has finally admitted that he’s carrying a niggle after a big start to the Marsh Cup and Sheffield Shield season, which is why he’s currently not bowling. Worse still, the sickening blow he copped against the ‘Canes might yet see him ruled out due to the concussion protocol. While his role at the top of the Stars’ order continues to be vital for his side, even his double rounds 5 and 7 and plummeting price point might not save him, particularly as Stoinis also has the bye in Round 6 – if you don’t have him already, is there really any point in bringing him before Round 7?

Get around Kane Richardson as a captaincy choice – he’s in fine form and has the double this round

CAPTAIN’S CHOICE

It’s all about the Melbourne teams when it comes to picking a skipper this round – you don’t want to miss out on an opportunity to have a double-double score for your captain. It’s impossible to look past Kane Richardson, with the Renegades’ prime quick set to play first at his happy hunting ground of Marvel Stadium before taking on the Stars at the G in the much-anticipated Melbourne derby. Similarly, Dale Steyn could be made a captain before he leaves the Stars, or alternatively you could opt for a tweaker, and select Adam Zampa as captain – before his numbers dipped as a result of a truncated clash with the ‘Canes, he was averaging 69.3 points per outing. With his ownership rising, it would be reasonable to expect many SuperCoach squads will select Glenn Maxwell as skipper with the Stars on the double.

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Originally published as SuperCoach BBL: What do you do when Khan won’t be playing in Round 5?