BBL 2018-19: Flop XI of the tournament

The eighth edition of the Big Bash League (BBL) finished with a cracking finale, where the Melbourne Renegades got out of jail defending 146 runs and pulled off a miraculous comeback. The Melbourne Stars, who held the upper hand for a major part of the match, failed in crucial moments and that proved decisive. Hobart Hurricanes, who undoubtedly have been the best team of the Big Bash this season, fell prey to Melbourne Stars in the semifinal, which raises more concerns over the current format and urges the authorities to think of the playoff format. Well, just like every other season, this season had a fair share of drama and trauma and eventually, the Renegades laid their hands on the trophy. While the tournament proved to be life-changing and memorable for a few, some others had a forgettable couple of months. Here’s the flop XI of the tournament: 1. Joe Denly (Sydney Sixers) Joe Denly. (Photo by Daniel Kalisz/Getty Images) English stalwart in the shortest format, Joe Denly represents various franchises across the globe. But his stint with the Sydney Sixers this time proved to be a horrendous one and his side bowed down in the semifinal to the heroics of Daniel Christian. Denly got to play seven games for the club this season and scored just 137 runs at an average of 22.83 at an underwhelming strike-rate of 103.01. He registered just one fifty-plus score in the tournament and failed to contribute significantly for the club. He was expected to blaze away at the top of the order, but Denly never really got going. 2. Nic Maddinson (Melbourne Stars) Nic Maddinson. (Photo by Scott Barbour/Getty Images) Nic Maddinson had his best time in professional cricket during his stint with Sydney Sixers. He left the club this season to join Melbourne Stars and it seems like he left his form behind as well. The Stars management kept trusting him with opportunities, only to see him fail time and again. He was in the playing XI for 11 of the 16 games the eventual runners up playing this season, mustering only 115 runs at an average of 11.50. He didn’t register any fifty-plus scores and had a strike rate of under 100 throughout the campaign, which signifies how much he struggled. 3. Joe Root (C) (Sydney Thunder) Joe Root. (Photo by Mark Metcalfe/Getty Images) Joe Root’s first stint in a T20 tournament outside England failed miserably as Sydney Thunder crashed out in the group stages. It was a nightmare outing Down Under for the English captain in Tests, who didn’t register even a single fifty-plus score during his time. The 28-year-old was well short of his best game. He played seven matches before leaving to England with Jos Buttler and scored just 93 runs with a top score of 26. An average of 15.51 is below par for a player of his standard and reputation. 4. Hilton Cartwright (Perth Scorchers) Hilton Cartwright. (Photo by Paul Kane/Getty Images) Hilton Cartwright was supposed to be one of the biggest names in world cricket but things are not falling properly into place for him. This edition of the BBL has been a horrific experience for the Zimbabwe-born Aussie cricketer who recently turned 27. The youngster played 11 matches for the Scorchers this season. He registered 163 runs at an average of 18.11, going beyond the 50-mark just once. For an aggressive cricketer like him, to have hit just three sixes in these many games is also a bad record. 5. Jimmy Peirson (Brisbane Heat) Jimmy Peirson. (Photo by Bradley Kanaris/Getty Images) Jimmy Peirson was without any doubts the most underwhelming performer among all the keeper batsmen. He did a decent job behind the stumps but lack of extra options forced Heat management to put him in every game, to which he didn’t respond greatly. In 14 games, Peirson registered 173 runs at an average of 24.71. Although his strike-rate was par (113.82), he could pile up only one fifty-plus score and virtually left Brisbane with just 10 men while batting. 6. Mitchell Marsh (Perth Scorchers) Mitchell Marsh. (Photo by Jason McCawley/Getty Images) Perth Scorchers’ horrendous outing this season was symptomatic of their skipper Mitchell Marsh‘s catastrophic time in the middle. Neither with the bat nor ball, he got going and that left a huge void for the tournament’s most successful franchise. In the seven matches he played this season, he piled up 122 runs at an average of 24.40. For someone who’s known for his big hitting prowess, Marsh raking up just two sixes is pretty surprising. He bowled just six overs on the whole, conceding 65 runs and picking one wicket. 7. David Willey (Perth Scorchers) David Willey of the Scorchers (Photo by Stefan Gosatti/Getty Images) After a brilliant all-round performance in the Big Bash last season, David Willey got another contract signed keeping him with Scorchers for this season. The move didn’t pay any dividends as the Englishman failed horrendously with bat and ball. He got to play just seven games this edition and picked up just two wickets. For someone who takes up the new ball, that’s an underwhelming record and his bowling average is a shade under 50. Although he goes in mostly as a pinch hitter, he does pack a punch, but things didn’t work with the bat either for Willey, who scored only 29 runs. 8. Mitchell Swepson (Brisbane Heat) Mitchell Swepson. (Photo by James Elsby – CA/Cricket Australia/Getty Images) Mitchell Swepson was supped to form a lethal spin partnership with new signing Mujeeb Ur Rahman, but as it turned out, his form wasn’t very great. He found it difficult to hit the right areas and didn’t help his captain an awful lot by conceding too many runs at crucial junctures. In 12 games for the Heat, Swepson took 9 wickets at an economy rate of 8.52 and a bowling average of 35.33. Despite a miraculous win in their final group game, Heat fell short of a place in the semifinals and settled for the 5th spot. 9. Ben Laughlin (Adelaide Strikers) Ben Laughlin of the Adelaide Strikers celebrates. (Photo by Darrian Traynor/Getty Images) One of the most experienced T20 bowlers in the world, Ben Laughlin made a very minimal impact this time for the 2017-18 champions. Strikers eventually fell short of a place in the semifinals and their title defence fell in tatters. The Strikers needed their ‘strike’ bowler to come good to do the same. In 13 matches for the franchise, Laughlin returned with 10 wickets at a bowling average in excess of 36. An economy of 8.41 didn’t help his cause as well as the team’s, earning him an unenviable entry into this list. A lot was expected off Laughlin but the fast bowler couldn’t come up with the goods. 10. Clive Rose (Hobart Hurricanes) Clive Rose. (Photo by Scott Barbour/Getty Images) Despite having such a mind-boggling season, Hobart Hurricanes had some issues in the spin department as their main man Clive Rose failed to live up to the expectations. Although his economy was not bad, he struggled horrendously to pick wickets. In 14 matches Rose played for the club, he picked up just 4 wickets at a staggering bowling average of 70. His left-arm spin proved to be inadequate for the standards this edition and his approach too didn’t seem very smart, which is reflecting in the stats. 11. Gurinder Sandhu (Sydney Thunder) Gurinder Sandhu. (Photo by Jeremy Ng/Getty Images) 25-year-old Gurinder Sandhu made headlines through some impressive performances in Big Bash, but his career didn’t take any upward slope in the last few years. Thunder fell just short of making it to the semifinals and just like his team, Sandhu too had a bad time this edition. He was supposed to be one of their strike bowlers and considering this fact, his performance of 8 wickets in 11 matches looks pale. He conceded at more than 8 an over and didn’t add any strength to the side. Get the latest Cricket News and updates, Match Predictions, Fantasy Cricket Tips and lots more on CricTracker.com.

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BBL 2018-19: Flop XI of the tournament

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