KFC SuperCoach BBL: Mike Hussey reveals strategy behind his round 1 team
The KFC SuperCoach BBL season could start with the highest-scoring round ever thanks to a fixture quirk. And Mike Hussey isn’t going to miss out.
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The first ball of the BBL season is almost here and one of the biggest rounds in KFC SuperCoach BBL history provides a mouth-watering start to this year’s tournament.
The Stars, Thunder and Strikers all play twice in the opening round, which means you will get two shots at huge points from players such as Rashid Khan, Marcus Stoinis and Daniel Sams.
In past seasons, KFC SuperCoach BBL has been about finding the right cash cows, maximising your budget and then loading your team with stars for the run home.
This summer, it’s go big or go home.
The fixture forces this approach, and most KFC SuperCoach teams will load their team with players from the three round 1 double sides.
I’m no different.
In past seasons I have always tried to have a core group of players who I have build my team around – reliable scorers like Maxwell, Kane Richardson, Sean Abbott and Josh Philippe.
Philippe is currently my starting wicketkeeper, but aside from the Sixers gun my selections have been dictated by the round 1 triple double.
If you don’t, you risk being hundreds of points behind after round 1, and KFC SuperCoach BBL isn’t a marathon – it’s a summer sprint.
Starting some of the most expensive players in KFC SuperCoach such as Matthew Short, Trent Boult or Jason Sangha will also allow you to easily pivot to three Perth Scorchers when they play twice in round 2 after a first-up bye.
Getting Mitch Marsh at $246k will be tough, but trading Maxwell and Boult (assuming their prices don’t fall too much), nets you about $360k to spend in round 2.
That’s almost enough to grab Marsh and Jhye Richardson for the second round.
I’ve got one eye on each of the first four rounds and will try to set my bench accordingly.
Like many, I will be starting with Josh Inglis as my bench wicketkeeper, one of two Scorchers currently in my starting side.
The other is all-rounder Aaron Hardie, whose talents were recognised when he was selected for an Australia A tour of Sri Lanka. He’s untapped and costs less than $100k.
The other debate for round 1 will be which player to captain as there are so many big guns playing twice.
If you use the captaincy loophole, you can have a look at any Thunder or Stars player in the first game of BBL12 with Rashid Khan as insurance the following night.
Rashid is my top captaincy choice anyway, so that’s a seriously good insurance policy to have if Boult, Sams, Alex Hales or Stoinis don’t go big.
Some of the biggest scores in KFC SuperCoach history could be in store in round 1 and I can’t wait to get started.
If you want to take on my team ‘Baggy Greens’, head to supercoach.com.au and sign up today.
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