Which Australian Test stars should be on your SuperCoach BBL radar?
Joe Burns, Travis Head and James Pattinson are among the Test stars who will soon filter back to the BBL after their success against Pakistan and New Zealand. Here’s when we’ll see all the Test players in the Big Bash.
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The Test summer is done and dusted after the Australians completed a series whitewash of New Zealand in Sydney.
Pat Cummins, Tim Paine and Mitchell Starc will enjoy a well-earned rest, while several of their Test teammates are headed to India for a three-match one-day tour.
But the Big Bash League will also receive an immediate injection of talent, with Travis Head, James Pattison and Matthew Wade among those due to return to their BBL clubs this week.
Here’s a guide to which Test guns should be on your SuperCoach radar from Round 7 onwards.
Steve Smith (Sydney Sixers) $225,000 BAT
Smith has signed on for his fourth season with the Sixers after he was part of their squad for the early editions of the BBL. Since last featuring in magenta, he has established himself as one of the world’s premier batsmen and is priced accordingly in SuperCoach. You usually wouldn’t consider a batsman with a price tag of $200,000+ but Smith and AB De Villiers — who is also $225,000 — are exceptions to the rule.
Verdict: Smith won’t return from India until the last two games of the BBL campaign. You could downgrade to Marnus Labuschagne at the same time to afford him.
Expected return: January 23 vs Brisbane Heat — SuperCoach Round 12
Travis Head (Adelaide Strikers) $195,100 BAT-BWL
Expect Head to take over as the Strikers No. 3 from India-bound Alex Carey. Harry Nielsen will deputise with the gloves, which leaves two changes to be made to Adelaide’s batting line-up. If Victorian Matt Short is the player to be squeezed out, it could open the door for Head to bowl during the power play. The Strikers have used Short’s off-spin at the start of the innings in recent matches. Adelaide confirmed on Tuesday that Head would miss its Round 7 fixture against Sydney Sixers.
Verdict: Consider him for Round 12 when the Strikers have a double. He’s too expensive as
it stands.
Travis Head will play his first game of #BBL09 on Sunday against Melbourne Renegades #supercoachbbl https://t.co/OTf8vBIJig
— SuperCoach BBL (@SuperCoachBBL) January 7, 2020
Expected return: January 12 vs Melbourne Renegades — SuperCoach Round 8
Matthew Wade (Hobart Hurricanes) $187,200 WKP-BAT
Wade completed his stunning international revival and sealed his return to the Australian Test side with 592 runs at a strike rate of 146.9 in BBL09. His opening partner D’Arcy Short (637) was the only player to make more runs than Wade last summer. Short is off to India after replacing Sean Abbott in the Australian squad and Wade will take his place at the top of the order for Hobart.
Verdict: Likely to be the No. 1 scoring wicketkeeper from here. Strongly consider him if you have cash to burn.
Expected return: January 9 vs Brisbane Heat — SuperCoach Round 7
Josh Hazlewood (Sydney Sixers) $162,500 BWL*
Hazlewood will join Smith on Australia’s tour of India and won’t figure for the Sixers again until their Round 12 SuperCoach fixture against Brisbane Heat on January 23. He’ll have a prominent role to play if the Sixers are to challenge for BBL09 glory with Tom Curran due to join the England one-day and T20 teams in South Africa.
Verdict: Returned from injury for his first game of BBL09 in Coffs Harbour but is now headed to India with the one-day squad.
Expected return: January 23 vs Brisbane Heat — SuperCoach Round 12
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Nathan Lyon (Sydney Sixers) $145,500 BWL
Australia’s red-ball spinner has an impressive T20 record with 49 wickets from 40 matches including a career-best 5-23. He has a strike rate of 15.3 in 23 outings for the Sixers with an economy rate of 6.7. The Sixers are well stocked for bowlers with Tom Curran, Ben Dwarshuis, Jackson Bird and the in-form Lloyd Pope. He won’t return until at least January 18 though as he recovers from a thumb injury he suffered in the Sydney Test. Sean Abbott (side strain) and Josh Hazlewood (ODI tour) should return not long after Lyon to give the Sixers a formidable bowling arsenal.
Verdict: The Sixers have a double in Round 10, although Lyon is only due to return for the second of their two matches against Sydney Thunder. If he bowls well, you could consider him for Round 11 when the Sixers host Melbourne Stars.
Expected return: January 18 vs Sydney Thunder — SuperCoach Round 10
Michael Neser (Adelaide Strikers) $131,900 BAT-BWL*
The Strikers seamer made his BBL return against Sydney Sixers and was on the end of a Josh Philippe-led onslaught, finishing with 0-48 from four overs. His price will plummet in coming rounds as a result and he should be underpriced at Adelaide’s Round 11 double. He took the new ball ahead of Billy Stanlake which suggests he’ll be bowling prominently for the Strikers. Neser also batted ahead of Rashid Khan at No. 7, but any lower-order points should be seen as a bonus.
Verdict: Not before his double in Round 12.
James Pattinson (Brisbane Heat) $126,600 BWL
Pattinson impressed in his two Tests deputising for Josh Hazlewood, snaring six wickets as Australia wrapped up a clean sweet of its New Zealand and Pakistan series. The athletic quick took 19 wickets in 14 BBL matches for Melbourne Renegades before joining the Heat and had a strike rate of a wicket every 15.6 balls. The only question mark was his high economy rate (9.2 at Renegades) but he’s reined that in and conceded less than seven runs an over during his brief Heat career.
Verdict: Pattinson ticks a lot of boxes. He’s well priced, has been a regular wicket-taker and has an economy rate of 6.76 from the five matches he’s played since moving to Brisbane. He’s arguably the No. 1 target of the Test squad players due to return to BBL, although he’s not in the Heat squad to face Hobart in Round 7. Hopefully he makes the trip to Perth in Round 8.
Expected return: January 11 vs Perth Scorchers — SuperCoach Round 8
Marnus Labuschagne (Brisbane Heat) $62,500 BAT-BWL
How soon can we trade him in? Australian cricket’s newest star is headed to India with the one-day squad but will return in time to be part of the Heat’s finals push. The question mark over Brisbane Heat’s line-up is who opens when Tom Banton is replaced by AB De Villiers. Darren Lehmann could opt for Labuschagne, Joe Burns or Matt Renshaw in a reshuffled top order. He’s listed as a BAT-BWL which increases his SuperCoach appeal.
Verdict: One of the easier decisions you’ll make this season. Get Labuschagne as soon as he returns from India and you can play him during the Heat’s Round 13 double.
Expected return: January 23 vs Sydney Sixers — SuperCoach Round 12
Joe Burns (Brisbane Heat) $62,500 BAT
The Test opener has an attractive price, but that’s about where his SuperCoach appeal stops. In five BBL08 games he made 50 runs with a high score of 20 not out, largely due to his role in a team stacked with T20 talent. Burns was batting at No. 4 for the Heat which was too low to be a reliable SuperCoach scorer behind Brendon McCullum, Max Bryant and Chris Lynn. Add AB De Villiers, Matt Renshaw and Marnus Labuschagne to that mix and his position is even more volatile. Go for Labuschagne in a few rounds instead.
Verdict: Unless he takes Tom Banton’s role as an opener for the Heat, Burns is unlikely to be a big scorer. He’d be batting at No. 5 or No. 6 behind Bryant, Lynn, De Villiers, Labuschagne and potentially Renshaw.
Expected return: January 9 vs Hobart Hurricanes — SuperCoach Round 7
Unsigned for BBL09: David Warner, Tim Paine, Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc.
*Price subject to change after Round 6.