Big Bash League franchises' chances/intricacies of signing AB de Villiers

The Big Bash League franchises will soon start their preparations for the next Aussie summer where the tournament will take place. Over the years, this elite league has been getting bigger and better and it’d be fair to say they’ve been the best after the Indian Premier League in terms of monetary success and fan base.

Over the course of time, they’ve managed to rope in some of the biggest names in world cricket. Some legends of the game like Kevin Pietersen, Chris Gayle and the current generation superstars like Shadab Khan and Rashid Khan, all of them have been a part of this pretty attractive league.

There’s another big player up for grabs for the upcoming season. No prizes for guessing, it’s the former South African cricketer AB de Villiers. He’ll now just be taking part in domestic tournaments and T20 leagues which means he is all set to make his debut in the Big Bash.

Here’s what some spokespersons of each BBL Franchise said on roping in ABD.

1. Adelaide Strikers

Beginning with the defending champions, they don’t seem pretty interested in roping ABD, as reported in Big Bash’s official website. They already have Colin Ingram and Rashid Khan, who did a fabulous job in their title-winning campaign.

“The Adelaide Strikers are pleased with our current list and we look forward to welcoming back our internationals Colin Ingram and Rashid Khan. We have worked very hard to build and retain a culture which will bring continued success to the franchise,” said a Strikers’ spokesperson.

Roster spots to fill: Two

Internationals signed: Two

2. Brisbane Heat

Former BBL champions Brisbane Heat too have signed two International players as it stands. But their General Manager rightly said it’d be a blunder to not consider the possibility of signing the South African legend. Heat already have roped the services of De Villiers’ RCB teammate and Kiwi great Brendon McCullum.

Heat General manager Andrew McShea said: “It would remiss of us not to explore the possibility of AB being available for the Heat. Dan and he have had some conversations in the past about opportunities so we will see where things go.”

Roster spots to fill: Four

Internationals signed: Two

3. Hobart Hurricanes

Hobart Hurricanes have a lot of slots to fill in, but as far as their International quota is concerned, they seem pretty satisfied with Jofra Archer and Tymal Mills. Their CEO Nick Cummins reckoned if any of these two players are unavailable for the upcoming season, then they might try and fit him in.

“If one of our overseas players wasn’t available then that opens up an opportunity but as it is, we have our two overseas players contracted so we couldn’t fit him in. But if one of our guys, Archer or Mills couldn’t come for whatever reason, and AB was interested … then, of course, you would see. I did note he expressed interest in playing for the Titans this year too so maybe he is just going to play in South Africa, but I’m not sure,” Cummins said.

Roster spots to fill: Seven

Internationals signed: Two

4. Melbourne Renegades

As it stands, we might as well see AB de Villiers donning the Red and black jersey not just in the IPL, but also in Australia. The Melbourne Renegades CEO Stuart Coventry sounded interested in signing up Mr. 360 as they’re working through the final makeup of their squad right now.

“We’re working through the final makeup of our squad at the moment. Obviously, AB de Villiers is an incredible talent and if he was to be available he would be a significant asset to any club,” said the Renegades CEO Stuart Coventry.

Roster spots to fill: Three

Internationals signed: Zero

5. Melbourne Stars

The Melbourne Stars accustomed to signing big International names, having signed Kevin Pietersen earlier. After a mediocre season last time around, they’d be eager to turn things around and signing De Villiers can help their ambitions big time. Their CEO has also expressed his interest in signing the South African.

They didn’t sign any International players as it stands and there’s great room for players like ABD to come in. Stars CEO Clint Cooper said: “We would love to see de Villiers in the Big Bash League, and a player of his caliber would obviously be of interest to the Stars.”

Roster spots to fill: Eight

Internationals signed: Zero

6. Perth Scorchers

With Justin Langer moving to Australia as the head coach, the Scorchers currently find themselves without a coach. Retired erst-while Scorchers player Voges is likely to fill in that coaching position and their CEO has revealed that their top priority right now is to sign a coach to help them with list decisions.

There’s no official information regarding their squad and it’ll probably be disclosed after signing up a coach. WACA CEO Christina Matthews said: “AB de Villiers is an exciting player and we would certainly look into it, but our first priority is to find a coach to help with list decisions.”

7. Sydney Sixers

Another one of the favorites to sign AB de Villiers are the Sydney Sixers. They currently stand one step ahead of all the clubs and have already started talking to De Villiers’ manager regarding his signing and their CEO Judie Hawkins has already stated that they are willing to offer a “Pretty good package”.

“Last night, we touched base again with his manager. We hope we’ll be in a pretty good position if he wants to come out. From a family point of view, we feel we offer a pretty attractive package in Sydney and he’s previously stated his love for the SCG. We’re very keen to have him, should he want to come out, but we also realize he said he’s keen to play domestic cricket in South Africa,” Hawkins said.

Roster spots to fill: 11

Internationals signed: Zero

8. Sydney Thunder

The Sydney Thunder have openly confessed their interest in signing AB de Villiers as just like various other teams, they haven’t signed any foreign recruits as yet. Their General manager LEE Germon stated that having Shane Bond and Mike Hussey in the IPL has helped them take a closer look at some other options as well.

Thunder general manager Lee Germon said: “We’re currently working through our overseas options for the upcoming season. Sydney Thunder is always looking to sign high-profile international players and AB de Villiers falls into that category. With both Shane Bond and Mike Hussey over in India for the IPL, it has allowed us to take a closer look at some of our options.”

Roster spots to fill: 11

Internationals signed: Zero

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