KFC SuperCoach BBL: Expert teams revealed
The first ball of the KFC SuperCoach BBL season is just hours away. And after a lot of tinkering, our experts have settled on their Round 1 teams. See them all here.
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The KFC SuperCoach BBL season is almost here – and our experts have finalised their Round 1 teams.
See them all below.
AZZA JEWELL’S TEAM (@azzajewell)
Resident statistician and data storyteller, Azza is up next, and after weeks of pre-season research, analysis and endless tweaking, this is the side that hopes to take him to KFC SuperCoach BBL glory.
Wicketkeepers
Peter Handscomb (Renegades) WKP-BAT $62,500
Joe Clarke (Stars) WKP-BAT $153,800
It still surprises me that Josh Philippe and Ben McDermott have higher ownerships than Joe Clarke. In fact, as of writing this, Joe Clarke is the 7th most owned wicketkeeper yet has a double game week to start. He’s been a lock in my side for some time, but of course I’m still playing it cautiously, using the loophole technique, just in case. {eter Handscomb is a placeholder pending Clarke’s score - either Billings comes in if Clarke fails, or Inglis comes in to bring Clarke’s score in to play. Either way, there’s flexibility abound here.
CHEAPIE RANKINGS: THE TOP 5 KFC SUPERCOACH BBL BARGAINS
Batters
Jason Sangha (Thunder) BAT $177,200
Sam Billings (Heat) WKP-BAT $152,800
Alex Hales (Thunder) BAT $130,300
Hilton Cartwright (Stars) BAT $122,500
Chris Lynn (Strikers) BAT $112,200
Rilee Rossouw (Thunder) BAT $105,000
Josh Inglis (Scorchers) WKP-BAT $87,000
The Matt Short or Jason Sangha decision still looms as one of my biggest headaches. At the moment, I’ve opted for Sangha, who was just incredible last season and has two consecutive double game rounds to start the season. But I feel this could change at the last minute. The rest of the team is well and truly set. Billings is a strategic play over the first 3 rounds - Round 1, he plays if Clarke fails. Round 2, he can be used if Inglis or Rilee Roussow do well given he has a bye, and Round 3, Billings has the double. Alex Hales, Hilton Cartwright and Chris Lynn are all in due to their respective doubles, batting position and potential and I’m keen to see Lynn bounce back after a few unfortunate seasons.
Bowlers
Rashid Khan (Strikers) BWL $193,600
Trent Boult (Stars) BWL $180,000
Mujeeb Ur Rahman (Renegades) BWL $111,800
Adam Zampa (Stars) BWL $103,600
Marcus Stoinis (Stars) BAT-BWL $83,400
Fazalhaq Farooqi (Thunder) BWL $105,000
Aaron Hardie (Scorchers) BWL-BAT $99,600
I’ve spent up big on KFC SuperCoach favourite Rashid Khan and NZ superstar Trent Boult, but their talents are well known. Having Boult in my side provides a handy stepping stone to Faf du Plessis in Round 2, given Stars have the bye and Scorchers have the double. Adam Zampa and Marcus Stoinis have been locks in my side since the game first opened, and I’m surprised given his price that Stoinis isn’t 100% owned. But 70% is still incredible – one of the highest owned players in any KFC SuperCoach format. I’ve opted for another Thunder import that’s priced at $105,000 in Fazalhaq Farooqi, who will prove valuable over the first two rounds, but again, just in case, I’m looping him off the bench. Should he score poorly, Mujeeb Ur Rahman is ready and waiting, a player who I think is underpriced and with Renagades lucky enough to not have a bye, Mujeeb could prove very handy over the course of the first few weeks. Not to mention, Renegades double game week in Round 5, yes I’m thinking that far ahead. Should Farooqi score well, then Aaron Hardie will take that place on field and like Inglis, is stashed away nicely for Round 2 especially with a new middle order role with Mitch Marsh, Phil Salt and Laurie Evans all out.
THE PHANTOM’S TEAM
It’s all about the double-game rounds, right? Well, yes but it’s not an instant ticket to success. We’ve seen some of the competition’s better players outscore those playing twice in a single game, many times in the past. It’s why – to be a little different – I’ve included a few who I think can do just that in Round 1.
Wicketkeepers
Josh Philippe (Sixers) $168,300 WKP-BAT
Josh Inglis (Scorchers) $87,000 WKP-BAT
Josh Philippe is in 48 per cent of teams but given his BBL history, and some of the hard-hitting displays he’s put on this season, it doesn’t feel like he’s getting a lot of love. When he gets going, he really gets going, and I’m backing him to do that in the first game – and he doesn’t have a bye until Round 9. Everyone should be stashing Scorchers keeper Josh Inglis at that price, too.
Batters
Matt Short (Strikers) $197,500 BWL-BAT
Alex Hales (Thunder) $130,300 BAT
Colin de Grandhomme (Strikers) $125,000 BAT-BWL
Rilee Rossouw (Thunder) $105,000 BAT
Marcus Stoinis (Stars) $83,400 BAT-BWL
Beau Webster (Stars) $62,500 BAT
Peter Handscomb (Renegades) $62,500 BAT-WKP
I’ll take just one or two overs from Matt Short, given he’s opening the batting. He’s expensive, yes, but he’ll have more opportunity to score than most in the first round of KFC SuperCoach. How the Strikers use Colin de Grandhomme will be interesting, too, but, at that price, I’m happy to pick him and see, given the enormous upside. Beau Webster is looming as an early-season bargain at the Stars, while I’m not going to be the one to miss out on a huge Rilee Rossouw score.
Bowlers
Rashid Khan (Strikers) $193,600 BWL (C)
Trent Boult (Stars) $180,000 BWL
Daniel Sams (Thunder) $179,300 BAT-BWL (VC
Shadab Khan (Hurricanes) $125,000 BAT-BWL
Michael Neser (Heat) $107,900 BAT-BWL
Aaron Hardie (Scorchers) $99,600 BAT-BWL
Cooper Connolly (Scorchers) $42,500 BAT-BWL
Well-priced pair Shadab Khan and Michael Neser are the two non-double-gamers here. The former impressing, again, for Pakistan at the T20 World Cup and I’m banking on Neser being forced out of the Aussie XI and playing in Round 1. Before his Test recall, he took 5/28 in his last Marsh Cup game against WA and, before that, seven wickets for the match and a first-innings half century in the Shield clash. Before that? 136 with the bat against NSW. Rashid Khan, Daniel Sams and Trent Boult pick themselves.
TIM MICHELL’S TEAM
Just when I thought my KFC SuperCoach BBL team was set the fantasy gods delivered a bargain too good to ignore.
I have been trying to work out for weeks how I am going to manage fielding both Matthew Gilkes and Josh Inglis in Round 2.
At one stage my plans involved Sam Harper, then Matthew Wade before I eventually found the cash for Sam Billings to get ahead for Brisbane’s Round 3 double. I was all set on that until Peter Handscomb signed for the Renegades and was priced at just $62k.
Unlike a few summers ago when I picked Handscomb as a cash cow (a plan which failed miserably), I’m not all that fussed if he doesn’t play. He’s essentially in my team to free up $90k from Billings and allow me to use both Gilkes and Inglis on field in Round 2. Any cash generation or on-field points will just be a bonus.
He’s made a stack of runs in the Sheffield Shield but hasn’t translated that form into the BBL for years so I don’t have high expectations. It’s more a strategic and structural move than anything else.
Bringing Handscomb in (which I swore I would never do again) has allowed me to strengthen my bench and give myself the flexibility to loop Rilee Rossouw and Fazalhaq Farooqi in the first game of BBL12. Say Farooqi scored 50 but Rossouw scored under 10, I could swap Ashton Agar and De Grandhomme, avoiding a potentially low score from Rossouw depending how he fared in game two for the Thunder.
Rolling lockout is one of the best features in KFC SuperCoach and maximising it in Round 1 gives you the best chance of setting yourself up for the long term. If Rossouw and Farooqi perform well I will likely dump Chris Lynn, move De Grandhomme to an on-field batting spot and then use the $40k I have spare to stash Jhye Richardson for Perth’s Round 2 double.
Failing that, James Bazley is my next target for Brisbane’s Round 3 double. I hope you understand where I’m going with this but essentially it’s all about giving yourself as much flexibility as possible to finish Round 1 with the best possible side.
Wicketkeepers
Josh Inglis (Scorchers) $87,000 WKP-BAT
Matthew Gilkes (Thunder) $97,400 WKP-BAT
Batters
Daniel Sams (Thunder) $179,300 BAT-BWL (VC)
Ashton Agar (Scorchers) $160,900 BAT-BWL
Alex Hales (Thunder) $130,300 BAT
Chris Lynn (Strikers) $112,200
Marcus Stoinis (Stars) $83,400 BAT-BWL
Rilee Rossouw (Thunder) $105,000 BAT
Peter Handscomb (Renegades) $62,500 BAT-WKP
Bowlers
Rashid Khan (Strikers) $193,600 BWL (C)
Andrew Tye (Scorchers) $156,700 BWL
Peter Siddle (Strikers) $151,300 BWL
Luke Wood (Stars) $105,000 BAT-BWL
Adam Zampa (Stars) $103,600 BWL
Colin de Grandhomme (Strikers) $125,000 BAT-BWL
Fazalhaq Farooqi (Thunder) $105,000 BWL
DAMO’S TEAM (@DamoSC)
Wicketkeepers
Joe Clarke (Stars) $153,800 WKP-BAT
Josh Inglis (Scorchers) $87,000 WKP-BAT
Nothing fancy going on here. I’ve seriously considered Josh Phillipe but Joe Clarke has the double game round first up and I feel confident he’ll at least match in two games what Phillipe does in one game. Josh Inglis is a good bench stash for the Scorchers double in Round 2. There’s a chance I put Inglis on the field and stick the emergency on Clarke just in case, but I don’t want to get too caught up with tricky plays early.
Batters
Daniel Sams (Thunder) $179,300 BAT-BWL (VC)
Jason Sangha (Thunder) $177,200 BAT
Alex Hales (Thunder) $133,300 BAT
Matthew Wade (Hurricanes) $120,400 BAT-WKP
Marcus Stoinis (Stars) $83,400 BAT-BWL
Aaron Hardie (Scorchers) $99,600 BAT-BWL
Beau Webster (Stars) $62,500 BAT
Daniel Sams is almost a must-have every season, but with the Thunder having a double first up, he becomes even more locked into my team. His ability with the bat and then the ball is a really attractive proposition.
Jason Sangha, the newly crowned Thunder skipper, will almost certainly replicate his heroics of last season and as captain should give himself a spot at the top of the order as well as some overs with the ball. Hard to ignore Alex Hales after his form in the T20 World Cup, and at 130k you could argue he’s underpriced. I know it’s only training videos but Matthew Wade is looking ominous, and I know there’s a chance he is called up for the Australian team but I’m prepared to take that risk. Marcus Stoinis is way too cheap to ignore at his price, and is super valuable now he’s back bowling again. Same with Beau Webster. who is likely going to bowl more overs and bat higher to graduate out of his cameo role of last season in the absence of Glenn Maxwell. Aaron Hardie is a stash for the Scorchers round 2 double – he should get plenty of opportunities as an allrounder in the absence of Mitch Marsh.
Bowlers
Rashid Khan (Strikers) $193,600 BWL (C)
Peter Siddle (Strikers) $151,300 BWL
Michael Neser (Heat) $107,900 BAT-BWL
Brody Couch (Stars) $105,300 BWL
Adam Zampa (Stars) $103,600 BWL
Andrew Tye (Scorchers) $156,700 BWL
Ben Cutting (Thunder) $86,000 BAT-BWL
It’s impossible to leave out Rashid Khan and Peter Siddle. Both will get their four overs for the Strikers, and will be key parts of their bowling attack – and we all know both of them love a wicket or two. Pending Test selection, Michael Neser is a no-brainer, especially considering his form in the Sheffield Shield competition. Brody Couch hasn’t been spoken about by many but I’m bullish on him to breakout a bit this season – he should get four overs most games and seems to be loved within the Stars organisation. Adam Zampa is verging on the must-have of the season, he’s in form coming into the BBL and has been taking wickets for fun at all levels. Andrew Tye is probably too expensive to stash, but I’m doing it anyway, another who’s form is red-hot at the minute. Ben Cutting is a loop for me, love his price and if he has a good game one then I’ll likely take Neser off the field and bank on Cutting backing in up in Thunder’s second game of the round.
DAN BATTEN’S TEAM
How many doubles is too many?
That question is on the lips of all KFC SuperCoach BBL players – along with the Colonel’s 11 secret herbs and spices, of course.
With three teams playing twice in the opening round of the season, 10/11 in my starting side have a double-game round first up.
And the one player without the double is coming off a stellar T20 World Cup campaign.
But if SuperCoach AFL and NRL this season were any guide, it pays to be ultra-aggressive.
Ordinarily, this many double-game players in the one round would leave you in the lurch down the track, but four Sydney Thunder players in my side also have the double in round 2.
Combine that with two Perth Scorch to use four trades in the one round with the new Trade Boosts feature, and suddenly stacking your side with options that play twice isn’t such a risk (round 2 double, round 1 bye) stashed on the bench and the potential
After all, the best way to maximise your score each round is to have bowlers who have eight overs to score points and two innings to post strong totals.
Here is how my side is looking for round 1.
Wicketkeepers
Josh Inglis (Scorchers) WKP-BAT $87,000
Joe Clarke (Stars) WKP-BAT $153,800
It’s a risk, but I’ve decided to bypass Philippe in my starting team… for now. Instead, I have gone with Clarke, who plays twice in the opening round. Clarke scored just 10 less runs than Philippe in the last BBL campaign and at a better strike rate, finishing with 419 runs at a rapid rate of 151.3. But I will slot him in as emergency with Inglis – who has the round 1 bye - on-field if Clarke scores poorly in his first match. With unlimited trades until the end of round 1, I’d seriously consider bringing in Philippe if Clarke fails and downgrading elsewhere. Alternatively, I can sub Nielsen for Inglis from my batting bench.
Batters
Matt Short (Strikers) $197,500 BWL-BAT
Daniel Sams (Thunder) $179,300 BAT-BWL (VC)
Alex Hales (Thunder) $130,300 BAT
Rilee Rossouw (Thunder) $105,000 BAT
Marcus Stoinis (Stars) $83,400 BAT-BWL
Aaron Hardie (Scorchers) $99,600 BAT-BWL
Harry Nielsen (Strikers) $62,500 BAT-WKP
You’re not taking KFC SuperCoach seriously if you don’t have Stoinis, who comes in at a draw-dropping price with the round 1 double. Short and Sams (if fit) should both have attractive all-rounder roles and two opportunities in round 1 to score big points. I have loaded up on Thunder players – who have a double-double in the first two rounds – with T20 World Cup stars Hales and Rossouw getting four opportunities to go large. Hales is a no-brainer after helping lead his country to World Cup glory with the eighth-most runs in the tournament. Rossouw is more hit and miss, but the South African has blasted two T20I tons in the past two months, so his upside is massive.
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Bowlers
Rashid Khan (Strikers) $193,600 BWL (C)
Trent Boult (Stars) $180,000 BWL
Colin de Grandhomme (Strikers) $125,000 BAT-BWL
Shadab Khan (Hurricanes) $125,000 BAT-BWL
Fazalhaq Farooqi (Thunder) $105,000 BWL
Mitch Swepson (Heat) $107,400 BWL
Cooper Connolly (Scorchers) $42,500 BAT-BWL
An all-international on-field bowling line-up, spearheaded by none other than Rashid Khan. The Afghan tweaker was just about my first picked player with the round 1 double, and his compatriot Farooqi is the late bolter. The left-arm seamer took two wickets against the Aussies at the T20 World Cup and made his IPL debut this year for Sunrisers Hyderabad. Him and de Grandhomme, who also has the round 1 double, have enticing value at their low price-tags. Shadab Khan is the only player in my XI without a first-round double, but his sensational T20 World Cup – where he consistently took wickets and went at a miserly 6.34 per over - speaks for itself. Same goes for short-form superstar Boult, who is a class above the BBL competition, and has two opportunities to skittle opponents in round 1. Swepson will occupy the bench with an eye to the Heat’s third-round double, pending the XI for the second Test against the West Indies.
AL PATON’S TEAM
It’s time for some Lynnsanity in KFC SuperCoach BBL.
Chris Lynn has scored more runs, and hit more sixes, than anyone in BBL history. Now he’s set to light up the Adelaide Oval after crossing from the Heat to the Strikers for BBL12.
It’s fair to say Lynn didn’t have the greatest tournament last summer but his record speaks for itself, he’s just $112k and the Strikers play twice in round 1.
He’s one of four Strikers in my squad alongside superstar (and likely round 1 captain) Rashid Khan, Matt Short and evergreen Peter Siddle.
I have thought long and hard about “shorting” Short (as SuperCoach AFL Investor Daniel Begala would say) and I’m not very happy about spending nearly $200k on a player after a massive breakout but the real KFC SuperCoach BBL experts in here have convinced me it’s too risky to leave him out. Still, I’m not ruling out switching back to Sean Abbott, who had been in that spot for most of the past few weeks.
As with others here the fixture has guided most of my selections with all but one of my starting XI on the double to start the year.
Here’s how Don’t Argue is looking with a few days to go.
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Wicketkeepers
Joe Clarke (Stars) $153,800
Josh Inglis (Scorchers) $87,000
I didn’t think too long about this position. Clarke is expensive but was a great scorer last summer and will likely open the batting again for the Stars. Inglis is ready and waiting for Perth’s round 2 double.
Batters
Alex Hales (Thunder) $130,300
Daniel Sams (Thunder) $179,300 BAT-BWL
Chris Lynn (Strikers) $112,200
Marcus Stoinis (Stars) $83,400 BAT-BWL
Shadab Khan (Hurricanes) $125,000 BAT-BWL
Tim David (Hurricanes) $89,700
Josh Brown (Heat) $42,000
Stoinis was my first-picked player, and Sams wasn’t far behind - but I’ll be watching the Thunder teams closely after talk of an injury niggle. Hales smashed 86 off 47 against India in the T20 World Cup final although his more recent scores aren’t as inspiring - 0, 0, 6, 17, 1 in his past five for Abu Dhabi. Still, he gets four chances at the crease in the first two rounds. Shadab Khan and Tim David should make me plenty of money even though Hobard doesn’t have a double until round 8.
Bowlers
Matt Short (Strikers) $197,400 BAT-BWL
Rashid Khan (Striker) $193,600
Trent Boult (Stars) $180,000
Peter Siddle (Strikers) $151,300
Adam Zampa (Stars) $103,600
Will Sutherland (Renegades) $62,500 BAT-BWL
Fazalhaq Farooqi (Thunder) $105,000
The ageless Siddle is a long-time favourite and he came straight in after re-signing with the Strikers last week. Zampa is one of the world’s best white-ball spinners and can form a nice partnership with Kiwi destroyer Boult. I’ll put the emergency on Farooqi for the first game and if he brains it I can trade one of those Strikers to one of the Scorchers’ star bowlers to get ahead for round 2.
ISA GUHA’S TEAM
I am back playing KFC SuperCoach BBL and I have one man in my sights: KFC SuperCoach Ambassador and my Fox Cricket colleague, Mike Hussey.
But I know I have my work cut out for me trying to compete with Mr SuperCoach.
I have tended to lose my way in the last couple of seasons with uncertainty around teams and grounds but I’m ready to take it all the way this season and follow in the footsteps of Shane Warne. Starting strong has never been an issue, and I have loaded up on options playing twice in the opening round to give me the best chance of success.
Here is how my starting side is shaping up for the KFC SuperCoach BBL season.
Wicketkeepers
Josh Philippe (Sixers) WKP-BAT $166,300
Josh Inglis (Scorchers) WKP-BAT $87,000
Two of the most destructive players in the BBL in recent times make up my keeping ranks. Philippe is very consistent and he generally starts BBL seasons strongly, while Inglis has just spent a lot of the time on the bench at the T20 World Cup – I expect him to be raring to go for the Scorchers’ after a round 1 bye.
Batters
Daniel Sams (Thunder) $179,300 BAT-BWL
Alex Hales (Thunder) $130,300 BAT
Rilee Rossouw (Thunder) $105,000 BAT
Jake Weatherald (Strikers) $87,100 BAT
Marcus Stoinis (Stars) $83,400 BAT-BWL
Harry Nielson (Strikers) $62,500 BAT-WKP
Josh Brown (Heat) $42,000 BAT
All of my on-field batters play twice in the opening round. Hales is self-explanatory after scoring more runs than any player in the last three BBL seasons, along with his triumphant return for England at the T20 World Cup. Rossouw is coming off a big World Cup hundred and is very cheap, while Sams is a reliable all-rounder who scores points with both bat and ball.
Meanwhile, Weatherald is my first-round punt. He didn’t have the best return in his last BBL campaign but he is a cheap option who can come off – and he has just five per cent ownership in KFC SuperCoach BBL. Stoinis picks himself at that price and he can offer with both bat and ball.
Bowlers
Matt Short (Strikers) $197,500 BWL-BAT
Rashid Khan (Strikers) $193,600 BWL (C)
Trent Boult (Stars) $180,000 BWL
Andre Russell (Renegades) $145,000 BWL-BAT
Adam Zampa (Stars) $103,600 BWL
Will Sutherland (Renegades) $62,000 BWL-BAT
Lance Morris (Scorchers) $62,500 BWL
The toughest call in my starting side is Andre Russell vs Shadab Khan. The Pakistan all-rounder had a brilliant World Cup, but Russell has plenty of potential with his batting strike rate and wicket-taking. I am not sure where the Renegades will bat Russell, but I think I will start him and then switch to Khan later in the season.
Short opens the batting and was getting through four overs with the ball last season – a role that screams KFC SuperCoach BBL points. His teammate Khan will be my round 1 captain. The Afghan tweaker is high quality: he takes wickets, keeps things tight and can go at an amazing strike rate with the blade.
Boult can take wickets at the start of the innings and is very good at the death, which is key for any successful bowler in KFC SuperCoach BBL. One of the best T20 leg spinners in world cricket rounds out my team in Zampa, who is coming off strong World Cup and one-day form.
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All Big Bash fans and KFC SuperCoach players know Rashid Khan, Andre Russell, Alex Hales, James Vince and Colin Munro.
But what about the international imports playing in their first BBL tournament?
Isa Guha outlines five new faces to watch and what they can offer in KFC SuperCoach BBL.
Faf du Plessis (Scorchers) $180,000 BAT
I’ve watched a lot of du Plessis in the T20 format and he is superb against both pace and spin. The South African superstar brings a wealth of experience to the Scorchers and can get their batting innings off to a good start - and that means big points in KFC SuperCoach. Du Plessis has a bye first up, but will be the No. 1 trade target ahead of the Scorchers’ round 2 double.
Shadab Khan (Hurricanes) $125,000 BAT-BWL
Khan is one of Pakistan’s best limited overs players. He offers so much with the ball with his leg spin and bowled some key overs in the World Cup, where he took 11 wickets. Outside of the powerplay he can keep things tight and pick up wickets and he is more traditional as a leg-spinner than his namesake, Rashid Khan. With the bat he has been used as high as number three in the Pakistan Super League and he has been shuffled up the order as a pinch-hitter for his country as well.
Zak Crawley (Hurricanes) $125,000 BAT
Crawley is still finding his way in Test cricket but a run-a-ball ton in the first Test in Pakistan might be the catalyst he needs to dominate again. In the short format, he has been outstanding domestically where he knows his game pretty well. Crawley is a very good player of the short ball so I think he’ll enjoy these pitches. He won’t be available until at least round 4-5 but watch out for him once he joins the Hurricanes camp.
Luke Wood (Stars) $105,000 BAT-BWL
I have watched him a lot domestically and for England as well. The opening bowler is a good left arm option for the Stars with his aggression, skiddy bounce and array of slower balls.
Fazalhaq Farooqi (Thunder) $105,000 BWL
Watch out for Fazalhaq Farooqi from Afghanistan, an overseas replacement player for Englishman David Willey. A skiddy bowler, Farooqi has good pace and can bowl well at the death.
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