Won't Win's guaranteed mozzer of a side – be warned, you don’t want to share any players with my side

Obviously there’s a note of caution to this side – mostly, everyone I pick STINKS right up to the point that I jettison them from my side, and inevitably I’ll put the mozzer on every player I choose.

My SuperCoach BBL side is often like Josh Philippe of the Sixers - getting hit by the ball and hitting the deck!

Last season, I got it completely wrong – I went chasing the points ahead of the double rounds early in the season, and I had faith in veteran performers that they would step up and deliver for me.

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Suffice to say, it all went pear-shaped as the likes of Maxi Klinger, Brendan McCullum and others besides failed to set the cat among the pigeons and perform to the expectations that I was hoping they would deliver.

So do I put faith in my ten-year old son and back in his selection choices (which, essentially, amounts to a ‘pick all the Melbourne Stars players and then fill in any gaps with cheapies’ approach) or do I double down on the double-scoring round approach for the second year running? It’s the latter … if the boy wants to back himself, he’s more than welcome to start a side of his own!

Obviously there’s a note of caution to this side – mostly, everyone I pick STINKS right up to the point that I jettison them from my side … and watch out for any players that I trade in, as inevitably I’ll put the mozzer on them too. There’s a good reason my side is named ‘won’t win’ – it’s entirely prophetic.

So, as of the start of November, here’s my current starting XI for Round 1, SC BBL|09.

Marcus Stoinis of the Melbourne Stars might be the most expensive player in SuperCoach BBL, but he’s worth every cent

BATSMEN:

MARCUS STOINIS | MELBOURNE STARS | 96.9 avg. in BBL|08 | $278,900 in BBL|09

Stoinis is the clear high-priced player based upon his incredible season last year. He monstered it for the Stars, and any player who can average nearly 100 points in the game – nearly 30 average points per game higher than the tenth-ranked player – is worth selecting, particularly when he has dual position flexibility. If he’s confirmed as an opener for the Stars from the start of the season, he’s worth having from Round 1.

USMAN KHAWAJA | SYDNEY THUNDER | 59.0 avg. | $198,500

While the likes of Shaun Marsh are unlikely to get Australian selection honours this summer, the chance that Usman Khawaja is picked at Test level or as part of the touring party to India raises some degree of concern in terms of his security, as he would be particularly handy as a lead-off batsman from a side who do not have a bye this SuperCoach BBL season. There’s a reason that he’s the eighth most expensive player in the game this season – he’s an absolutely T20 gun at domestic level.

TOM BANTON | BRISBANE HEAT | no BBL|08 avg. | $125,000

ALEX HALES | SYDNEY SIXERS | no BBL|08 avg. | $125,000

Bracketed the two English imports together as they’re the same price – if it was a case of just going for one, it’d be hard to look past Banton who has been upgraded to Dual Position Player status with WKP as an additional benefit. But, given their likely regular availability at least for the first part of the season, they’re in my side for Round 1 at this stage.

Marcus Harris of the Melbourne Renegades is at too tasty a price point to ignore in SuperCoach BBL

MARCUS HARRIS | MELBOURNE RENEGADES | 18.0 avg. | $62,500

His form is better than his average last season and price this year indicates – Harris is likely to partner Aaron Finch or Shaun Marsh at the top of the batting order for the ‘Gades, but with his Strike Rate of 125.33 across 39 T20 matches throughout his career, I’m reasonably confident that he’ll average more than 18 ppg, particularly as he won’t be switching between Test and BBL duties this season.

KEEPER:

JOSH PHILIPPE | SYDNEY SIXERS | 42.7 | $123,000

With the Strikers’ Alex Carey being on the bye in Round 1, it makes sense to go for the Sixers’ Philippe from season start, primarily as he has double match scoring opportunities in Rounds 1 and 3. He’s yet to make a T20 century in 16 matches, but his Strike Rate of 154 and an average of just over 28 runs per game makes him far too tempting not to select.

One of the big advantages D'Arcy Short of the Hurricanes has in SuperCoach BBL is his flexibility as a Dual Position Player, able to be selected as BWL or a BAT

BOWLERS:

D’ARCY SHORT | HOBART HURRICANES | 91.3 avg. | $262,800

You simply can’t look past D’Arcy Short. He’s the top player in the game over Stoinis because, quite simply, he is more likely to play the full season. With Short unlikely to get a call up to tour India in the middle of the BBL|09 season, he’s a sure-fire winner for the majority of SuperCoach BBL sides, with his Dual Position Player flexibility making him a monty to pick in either the BAT or BWL position. As per with Stoinis’ inclusion in the BAT options, it’s a case of either having him in my squad now or regretting it later.

TOM CURRAN | SYDNEY SIXERS | | 73.0 avg. | $210,000

Curran proved to be an out-and-out star in the Big Bash League last season, but there’s a massive concern ahead of this season – just how many games will he play? The likelihood is that, like his English counterpart Joffra Archer, he will be required for English duties for the majority of the back half of the BBL|09 season as they are touring South Africa at that time. He will, however, be around for the first part of the season.

DANIEL SAMS | SYDNEY THUNDER | 59.1 avg. | $170,200

Another player with DPP flexibility and a double match scoring opportunity in Round 1, it’s amazing to think that Sams has yet to play more than 20 T20 games. He’s capable of playing a Ben Cutting-like role for the Thunder and influencing with the bat and ball. His form in the back half of the BBL|08 competition tailed off, but he started strongly out of the blocks, so here’s hoping he does so again this season.

Sixers captain Moises Henriques congratulates Sixers' Josh Philippe on his match winning innings – here’s hoping they both star for the sake of my SuperCoach BBL side

MOISES HENRIQUES | SYDNEY SIXERS | 35.3 avg. | $101,500

The skipper of the Sixers, Henriques is too tempting at just over $100,000 to not back in to have a big season in BBL|09 – he’s got nearly 200 T20 games under his belt, and last Big Bash season averaged just on 27 runs per innings and barely bowled, claiming just one wicket from 5 overs. if he can increase his bowling commitments – and early indications are that he’s bowling more than this time last year – then he could be a super handy player ahead of this season.

MARNUS LABUSCHAGNE | BRISBANE HEAT | 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 ‘breakout’ Ashes performance. 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.

Originally published as Won't Win's guaranteed mozzer of a side – be warned, you don’t want to share any players with my side