The 2014-15 Big Bash League starts on Thursday December 18 and you can watch it all live on Sky Sports. Here we take a look at the rest of the teams vying to win: Melbourne Stars, Perth Scorchers, Sydney Sixers and Sydney Thunder.
Click here for part one of our 2014-15 Big Bash League preview
MELBOURNE STARS
They can win it because…
They should win it. They’ve consistently had one of the best squads in the competition and reached the semi-finals in every year, losing on all three occasions. It’s time they at least reach the final.
They can’t win it because…
They’re chokers. No greater example than their semi-final defeat last year to the unfancied Hobart Hurricanes, having topped the table with eight wins from eight.
Six-hitter
Luke Wright. You could make a case for any of Glenn Maxwell, Cameron White and David Hussey, but Wright has been a revelation at the top of the order for the Stars, showcasing the big-hitting that he’s never quite displayed consistently for England.
Wicket-taker
James Faulkner. In the top three in both wickets and average per wicket since the start of the BBL, he is also a highly skilled bowler at the death. However, the absence of his partner in crime, Lasith Malinga, will be sorely felt.
Overseas influence
Kevin Pietersen. Because Wright, Maxwell, White and Hussey just isn’t enough. KP gets his first taste of the Big Bash in a line-up that’s about as explosive as his book.
PERTH SCORCHERS
They can win it because…
They did so last year and have never failed to make the final. They must harness that same spirit of 2013, piggy-backing again on the evergreen performances of 43-year-old Brad Hogg and inspired coaching from Justin Langer.
They can’t win it because…
They’ve lost their golden boy from last year, Craig Simmons, to rivals Adelaide. A fringe player for most of his career, Simmons smashed two centuries in last year’s BBL – one, the competition’s quickest ever, coming against his new side.
Six-hitter
Shaun Marsh. The mercurially talented Marsh can flatter to deceive on occasions. But when he gets it right, like he can do in T20 cricket – finishing as highest run-scorer in the 2008 IPL – he is explosive at the top of the order and can perhaps replace the runs lost from Simmons.
Wicket-taker
Yasir Arafat. Widely considered to be one of the best end-of-innings bowlers in world T20 cricket. Add to him golden-oldie Hogg and promising Australian youngsters Nathan Coulter-Nile and leg-spinner James Muirhead – it looks the strongest attack in the competition.
Overseas influence
Michael Carberry. The Hampshire opener joins Arafat on the plane to Perth. He was all set to sign up last year before England and the Ashes came calling. It could prove to be a shrewd move by the Scorchers as he looks to prove the international selectors that have since abandoned him wrong.
SYDNEY SIXERS
They can win it because…
They won the very first Big Bash, along with the Champions League the following year. The nucleus of those teams remains intact.
They can’t win it because…
The squad looks a little thin, and old. If the likes of Steve Smith and Mitchell Starc are called away regularly by Australia, can old hands like Michael Lumb, Brett Lee and Doug Bollinger shoulder the burden on their own?
Six-hitter
Steve Smith. Currently one of the most in-form batsmen in world cricket. In 2014 he averages 77.90 in Tests and 49.18 in ODIs. He’s played only one T20I for Australia this year, but he smashed two fifties in his four Sixers appearances last year.
Wicket-taker
Doug Bollinger. Having somewhat of a career renaissance – particularly in this format – Bollinger took 15 wickets for Kent at 15.73 this summer. That caught the eye of the Australian selectors as he played in all three of their recent T20Is against South Africa, performing well.
Overseas influence
Dwayne Smith. Forms a useful looking partnership with Lumb, their other overseas import, at the top of the order. Smith will be hoping he brings with him his IPL form from this year where he finished as the second-highest run-scorer, and not his 7.75 average when playing for New South Wales five years ago.
SYDNEY THUNDER
They can win it because…
Everyone likes an underdog. From being the flashiest both in name and player signings – recruiting the likes of Chris Gayle, David Warner, Matt Prior – since the league’s inception, the Thunder have been the whipping boys of the BBL.
They can’t win it because…
They’ve won only three games across the three previous years, losing 20 times.
Six-hitter
Mike Hussey. With Gayle no longer around, 39-year-old Hussey is left to carry the big-hitting burden. His eight sixes last year placed him second to Gayle for the most Thunder sixes since the league started. It was his first year with the team and he played only eight games, which gives you an idea of the team’s problems.
Wicket-taker
Pat Cummins. The 21-year-old (yes, he’s only 21) fast bowler joins from Perth Scorchers to lessen the burden on Dirk Nannes. The key will be getting him on the field, though, as he has been plagued by injuries since making his international debut three years ago (yes, three years).
Overseas influence
Jacques Kallis. Recently retired from international cricket, Kallis is available for the entire BBL season and is contracted to return next year, too. The veteran provides the stability both off and on the field that this franchise desperately needs. Eoin Morgan also provides interest for English and Irish viewers.
Watch the fIrst game of the 2014-15 Big Bash between Adelaide Strikers and Melbourne Stars on Sky Sports 2 from 8am on Thursday.