BBL 6 - Teams, Squads, Schedule and Fixtures

The 6th edition of the Big Bash League (BBL) is all set to get underway. BBL is one of the premier T20 leagues in the world. The action-filled tournament boasts of 8 fighting teams putting up some excellent display of T20 cricket for the fans. The international flavor is added by the overseas giants that feature in the tournament. Ever since it’s inception in 2011-12, the tournament has come a long way.

Sydney Sixers had won the inaugural edition of the tournament. The next season belonged to Brisbane Heat. It was Perth Scorchers who won the next two editions of the BBL. The 2015-16 season saw Sydney Thunder thump the Melbourne Stars to lift the trophy. The 6th edition kicks off on 20th December. The tournament will span for just over 5 weeks with the finals scheduled to be played on January 28.

It will be the defending champions Sydney Thunder taking on their derby partner Sydney Sixers in the tournament opener.  Expect more action, more shots and more adrenaline pumping in the latest edition of the league. Here is a brief look up at the teams, the squads and the fixtures that you must know about the league.

Teams

8 teams will compete for the title in the 2016-17 season of the T20 league. The cities of Melbourne and Sydney will have two team representations. The franchises have managed to beef up the team power ahead of the tournament. Here is a look at all the teams and their combinations for the season.

Adelaide Strikers

The Adelaide Strikers look a revamped unit. Chris Jordan and Kieron Pollard will replace Adil Rashid and Mahela Jayawardene as the two overseas signings. They will be under the leadership of veteran batsman Brad Hodge. They have the in-form batsman Travis Head in addition to the hard-hitting batsman Ben Dunk. The Strikers have been a consistent unit over the last two years and have made it to the semi-finals.

Players to watch out for: Jake Lehmann and Jake Weatherhald have been slowly making names for themselves in the domestic cricket with their batting prowess.

Squad: Brad Hodge (C), Wes Agar, Alex Carey, Jonathon Dean, Ben Dunk, Travis Head, Jon Holland, Chris Jordan (OS), Ben Laughlin, Jake Lehmann, Tim Ludeman, Michael Neser, Kieron Pollard (OS), Kane Richardson, Craig Simmons, Kelvin Smith, Billy Stanlake, Jake Weatherald.

Brisbane Heat

The Brisbane Heat had a very disappointing season last year as they finished 6th on the points table. Now, under the captaincy of brash and brutal former New Zealand skipper Brendon McCullum, they look a very strong side. The other overseas for them this season is West Indies bowler Samuel Badree. Expect Badree to take the new ball and bowl inside the powerplays. They have the powerhouse in the middle order. Ben Cutting and Chris Lynn look like a great prospect in death overs.

Players to watch out for: Leg spinner Mitch Swepson was impressive last season. Queensland batter Marnus Labuschagne was one of the top performers in domestic cricket this year.

Squad: Samuel Badree (OS), Joe Burns, Ben Cutting, Alex Doolan, Andrew Fekete, Luke Feldman, Jason Floros, Sam Heazlett, Marnus Labuschagne, Josh Lalor, Chris Lynn, Brendon McCullum (capt; OS), James Peirson, Nathan Reardon, Alex Ross, Mark Steketee, Mitchell Swepson, Jack Wildermuth.

Hobart Hurricanes

The Hobart Hurricanes will be captained by Tim Paine this season. They finished at the penultimate position last year and would hence want to improve on that record. They have Kumar Sangakkara and Stuart Broad as their overseas signings. All eyes would be on the big hitting Dan Christian and the bowling powerhouse led by Shaun Tait. George Bailey, who has had a relatively quiet last few months, would be itching to get back among the runs this season.

Players to watch out for: D’Arcy Short is a big hitting batsman who could prove to be the dark horse for the Hobart Hurricanes this season. He bowls slow left armers too and can chip in with crucial overs.

Squad: George Bailey, James Bazley, Cameron Boyce, Stuart Broad (OS), Dan Christian, Hamish Kingston, Ben McDermott, Dominic Michael, Simon Milenko, Tim Paine (c), Sam Rainbird, Jake Reed, Clive Rose, Kumar Sangakkara (OS), D’Arcy Short, Shaun Tait, Beau Webster, Jonathan Wells.

Melbourne Renegades

The Melbourne Renegades are the proud owners of the Caribbean duo of Sunil Narine and Dwayne Bravo. They have a good crop of Australian nationals in their line up. The likes of Aaron Finch, Brad Hogg, Peter Siddle, Matthew Wade and Callum Ferguson provide them with ample of experience to make it to the knockouts. Chris Gayle will be a major missing this season as he opted not to play this time.

Players to watch out for: Veteran batsman Cameron White and injury-plagued pacer James Pattinson will have a big say this season.

Squad: Tom Beaton, Dwayne Bravo (OS), Tom Cooper, Xavier Doherty, Callum Ferguson, Aaron Finch (c), Marcus Harris, Brad Hogg, Sunil Narine (OS), Peter Nevill, James Pattinson, Nathan Rimmington, Matthew Short, Peter Siddle, Chris Tremain, Matthew Wade, Cameron White, Nick Winter.

Melbourne Stars

David Hussey will be a happy captain of the Melbourne Stars as they boast of a formidable powerhouse lineup this season. Two of their biggest stars, Glenn Maxwell and Kevin Pietersen, have personal agenda to prove. Luke Wright has been an impressive overseas addition for them. They fell short by one step last season from picking up the BBL trophy. James Faulkner will be the all-rounder to settle in the playing eleven.

Players to watch out for: Adam Zampa will walk into the sixth edition of the BBL as one of the leading spinners of the country in the limited overs.

Squad: David Hussey (captain), Michael Beer, Scott Boland, Jackson Coleman, James Faulkner, Sebastian Gotch, Evan Gulbis, Peter Handscomb, Sam Harper, John Hastings, Ben Hilfenhaus, Glenn Maxwell, Kevin Pietersen (OS), Rob Quiney, Marcus Stoinis, Tom Triffitt, Daniel Worrall, Luke Wright (OS), Adam Zampa

Perth Scorchers

The Perth Scorchers had made it to the semi-finals last season. They have been the most consistent team in the history of BBL. They have the distinction of winning the trophy twice. This year, Adam Voges take command of the team. They have roped in England quickie David Willey and have the services of veteran English batsman Ian Bell as well. The Marsh brothers will be the mainstay of the team. The kind of form Mitchell Marsh is in, he can hit the long ball well. Former Australian pacer Mitchell Johnson will be seen in Scorchers outfit this season.

Players to watch out for: Andrew Tye is a handy bowler in the death overs. Mitchell Marsh will be expected to provide the fireworks in the batting department.

Squad: Ashton Agar, Cameron Bancroft, Jason Behrendorff, Ian Bell (OS), Hilton Cartwright, Nathan Coulter-Nile, Mitchell Johnson, Michael Klinger, Mitch Marsh, Shaun Marsh, James Muirhead, Joel Paris, Jhye Richardson, Ashton Turner, Andrew Tye, Adam Voges (c), Sam Whiteman, David Willey (OS)

Sydney Sixers

The Sydney Sixers had to take the wooden spoon last season. But make no mistake, they are more than just a capable unit. They were the champions in the inaugural edition and will look to replicate the same. They have signed two overseas batting dynamos in Sam Billings and Jason Roy. They have the likes of Nathan Lyon, Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood and Jackson Bird in the bowling department. Moises Henriques dons the captaincy hat.

Players to watch out for: Johan Botha, former South African national, who is keen on making an international debut for Australia now.

Squad: Moises Henriques (c), Sean Abbott, Sam Billings (OS), Doug Bollinger, Jackson Bird, Johan Botha, Ryan Carters, Ben Dwarshuis, Brad Haddin, Josh Hazlewood, Daniel Hughes, Nathan Lyon, Nic Maddinson, Joe Mennie, Stephen O’Keefe, Jason Roy (OS), Jordan Silk, Mitchell Starc.

Sydney Thunder

Riding on the heroics of Usman Khawaja, the Sydney Thunder had lifted the BBL trophy last year. This year, they have a power packed lineup all set for the title defense. The brutality of Shane Watson, Andre Russell and Aiden Blizzard is a daunting component for any opposition. They have the overseas services of Russell, James Vince and Eoin Morgan. In a last moment shuffle, Eoin Morgan has been named as the captain of the team.

Players to watch out for: Young spinner Arjun Nair has been a teen sensation for his domestic team. Fawad Ahmed will be another interesting prospect to look out for as he has been on the fringes of an Australian debut.

Squad: Shane Watson (c), Fawad Ahmed, Aiden Blizzard, Patrick Cummins, Jake Doran, Ryan Gibson, Chris Green, Usman Khawaja, Nathan McAndrew, Alister McDermott, Clint McKay, Eoin Morgan (OS), Arjun Nair, Kurtis Patterson, Ben Rohrer, Andre Russell (OS), Gurinder Sandu, James Vince (OS)

Fixtures/Schedule

Dec 20, Tue Match 1, Sydney Thunder vs Sydney Sixers

Sydney Showground Stadium, Sydney

Dec 21, Wed Match 2, Adelaide Strikers vs Brisbane

Adelaide Oval, Adelaide

Dec 22, Thu Match 3, Melbourne Renegades vs Sydney Thunder

Docklands Stadium, Melbourne

Dec 23, Fri Match 4, Sydney Sixers vs Hobart

Sydney Cricket Ground, Sydney

Match 5, Perth vs Adelaide Strikers

W.A.C.A. Ground, Perth

Dec 26, Mon Match 6, Hobart vs Melbourne Stars

Bellerive Oval, Hobart

Dec 27, Tue Match 7, Sydney Sixers vs Perth

Sydney Cricket Ground, Sydney

Dec 28, Wed Match 8, Sydney Thunder vs Brisbane

Sydney Showground Stadium, Sydney

Dec 29, Thu Match 9, Melbourne Renegades vs Perth

Docklands Stadium, Melbourne

Dec 30, Fri Match 10, Brisbane vs Hobart

The Gabba, Brisbane

Dec 31, Sat Match 11, Adelaide Strikers vs Sydney Sixers

Adelaide Oval, Adelaide

Jan 01, Sun Match 12, Melbourne Stars vs Melbourne Renegades

Melbourne Cricket Ground, Melbourne

Match 13, Perth vs Sydney Thunder

W.A.C.A. Ground, Perth

Jan 02, Mon Match 14, Hobart vs Adelaide Strikers

Bellerive Oval, Hobart

Jan 03, Tue Match 15, Brisbane vs Sydney Sixers

The Gabba, Brisbane

Jan 04, Wed Match 16, Sydney Thunder vs Melbourne Stars

Sydney Showground Stadium, Sydney

Jan 05, Thu Match 17, Perth vs Brisbane

W.A.C.A. Ground, Perth

Jan 06, Fri Match 18, Adelaide Strikers vs Hobart

Adelaide Oval, Adelaide

Jan 07, Sat Match 19, Melbourne Renegades vs Melbourne Stars

Docklands Stadium, Melbourne

Jan 08, Sun Match 20, Hobart vs Sydney Thunder

Bellerive Oval, Hobart

Jan 09, Mon Match 21, Sydney Sixers vs Melbourne Renegades

Sydney Cricket Ground, Sydney

Jan 10, Tue Match 22, Melbourne Stars vs Adelaide Strikers

Melbourne Cricket Ground, Melbourne

Jan 11, Wed Match 23, Brisbane vs Perth

The Gabba, Brisbane

Jan 12, Thu Match 24, Melbourne Renegades vs Hobart

Docklands Stadium, Melbourne

Jan 14, Sat Match 25, Sydney Thunder vs Sydney Sixers

Sydney Cricket Ground, Sydney

Match 26, Perth vs Melbourne Stars

W.A.C.A. Ground, Perth

Jan 16, Mon Match 27, Adelaide Strikers vs Melbourne Renegades

Adelaide Oval, Adelaide

Jan 17, Tue Match 28, Melbourne Stars vs Brisbane

Melbourne Cricket Ground, Melbourne

Jan 18, Wed Match 29, Sydney Thunder vs Adelaide Strikers

Sydney Showground Stadium, Sydney

Jan 20, Fri Match 30, Brisbane vs Melbourne Renegades

The Gabba, Brisbane

Jan 21, Sat Match 31, Hobart vs Perth

Bellerive Oval, Hobart

Match 32, Melbourne Stars vs Sydney Sixers

Melbourne Cricket Ground, Melbourne

Jan 24, Tue TBC vs TBC, 1st Semi-Final

Jan 25, Wed TBC vs TBC, 2nd Semi-Final

Jan 28, Sat TBC vs TBC, Final