BBL 2017-18: Pre-tournament Best XI

The seventh edition of Australian domestic T20 tournament, Big Bash League (BBL) is around the corner and streets have started to blare horns, fans are on their feet as the excitement reaches a higher echelon. The battle to claim the coveted title is all set to begin on 19 December and promises to be a bigger and better than all its previous editions.

The sixth season of BBL witnessed some nail-biting encounters. It comes as an obvious fact that players from all cricketing nations will look to express themselves in the best possible way and help their team cross the winning line. Though the intention of all players remains the same, there are a few who would play a pivotal role.

These stand out performers have been perennially doing the job for their teams. Hence, they would again be expected to step on the field with the same intent and help their team claim the trophy. Comprehending their current performance, the players have made their way in the pre-tournament Best XI. Let’s take a look:

1. Aaron Finch (C) (Melbourne Renegades)

Australian opener Aaron Finch is a renowned hitter of the cricket ball. He has been in prime form for quite some time now. Scoring 354 runs last season, Aaron was not only able to lead by example but was also able to impress the national selectors. Besides the truckload of runs, Finch also kept wickets for his side. He will once again have to play a pivotal role.

2. Ben Dunk (WK) (Adelaide Strikers)

The wicketkeeper-batsman is renowned to play extravagant strokes and has been able to provide decent start to his team. He has the ability to keep wickets and bowl part-time off-spin if skipper demands. In the last season, he was a part of all the eight games where he smashed three fifty-plus scores and kept wickets five times. Ben was also able to pick his first Big Bash wicket last season. He is most likely to open for Adelaide Strikers and play a vital component among their batting resources.

3. Chris Lynn (Brisbane Heat)

Brisbane Heat superstar Chris Lynn will line up for his seventh season in Brisbane Heat colours in BBL 2017-18. Lynn holds all kinds of records for the Heat and across the competition. Being the player of the tournament in the last season, he will look to offer the same this season and help his side cross winning line every time he comes out to bat. Nevertheless, he will be missing out on the first few games of this season due to an injury he suffered earlier this year.

4. Travis Head (Adelaide Strikers)

In last year and a half, Travis Head has evolved as the most devastating batsman in Australian cricket. He is also known to provide stability in the middle order. The left-hander blasted his first BBL century in 2015 playing against Sydney Sixers. Though he didn’t have a great outing last season having scored just 76 runs with the highest score of 24 runs. Head will be eagerly waiting to change these numbers.

5. Glenn Maxwell (Melbourne Stars)

Glenn Maxwell is a regular face in Australia’s limited-overs scheme and has been able to entertain his fans with his creative hitting style. In BBL 6, Maxwell accumulated a total of 117 runs. He also scored unbeaten 58 runs off just 29 balls at a whopping strike rate of 200 against Hobart Hurricanes. He adds a cherry to the cake by his superb fielding and part time bowling abilities.

6. Mitchell Marsh (Perth Scorchers)

Mitchell Marsh has made a name for himself in all three formats and has earmarked at an early age as a future prospect. Marsh is a big-hitting middle-order batsman, who also provides a good right-arm medium-fast option with the ball. He had a great last season, both as a player and collectively with the team. To win the coveted title, Marsh contributed 210 runs with the bat in 5 innings and picked 3 wickets at an economy of just above nine.

7. Andre Russell (Sydney Thunder)

The Jamaican all-rounder, Andre Russell has been out of cricket for a while. He didn’t feature in this year’s Indian Premier League and Caribbean Premier League having been slammed with a ban. However, the 29-year-old is all set to mark a return in the Big Bash.

A damaging batsman capable of clearing the world’s biggest boundaries, his career strike rate sits above 160. Russell also bowls at a handy pace with the ability to rip through the opposition though he can be a bit expensive economy wise at times.

8. Ben Cutting (Brisbane Heat)

With Ben Cutting, we remember the astonishing innings against Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) in Indian Premier League 2016 final playing for Sunrisers Hyderabad. Cutting has been able to make a name for himself worldwide. That said, the all-rounder will prove to be a key player for Brisbane Heat both with the bat as well as the ball. In the sixth season, he picked nine wickets in an economy of 9.93.

9. Rashid Khan (Adelaide Strikers)

Adelaide Strikers seems to be a strong side this season, especially after the inclusion of a player with an X-factor Afghanistan’s Rashid Khan. The leg-spinner first came into limelight when he was able to impress everyone with his craft and ability to pick big wickets at the international stage as a teenager.

After a successful IPL season, Rashid performed exceptionally well and was also able to pick his first hat-trick and finished with the best economy-rate of 5.82 for Guyana Amazon Warriors in the CPL. It will be a treat for the 19-year-old to play in one of the biggest T20 league.

10. Andrew Tye (Perth Scorchers)

It won’t be wrong to say that Andrew Tye has been one the pillars for Perth Scorchers in recent times. He had a scintillating last season where he impressed with both bat and ball. In the 10 matches he played, the pacer picked 10 wickets at a dazzling economy of just 7.15. The BBL is a perfect platform for the pugnacious potential to get some rhythm back into his bowling.

11. Jason Behrendorff (Perth Scorchers)

Behrendorff has emerged as a genuine Australia prospect in the past two seasons, winning the Domestic Player of the Year in 2015. He also impressed in the short T20 series against India this summer where he was able to pick four wickets, and more importantly, Jason has the ability to extract assistance from docile tracks. Playing for Perth Scorchers, he has picked 45 wickets in 32 matches at an average of 19.