Big Bash 2015-16: Adil Rashid, David Willey and Jason Gillespie to figure
'Thunder can end years of poor results...'
Wednesday 16 December 2015 17:54, UK
Sky Sports' Big Bash presenter Matt Floyd on why Yorkshire fans and the ECB will be watching the tournament with interest - and why Sydney Thunder are his dark horses...
December is always a great month for cricket fans.
There's an abundance of international action from South Africa, New Zealand and Australia, while one of the best domestic tournaments in the world returns for a fifth edition.
The Big Bash is one of my favourite competitions to work on as it consistently serves up high-quality action played on good pitches in front of bumper crowds - Cricket Australia have got it right and you can be sure the big hitters at the ECB will be watching closely again to see how they can improve our own T20 Blast.
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So, what can we expect this year? Well, with a World T20 in India just three months away, the Bash has even more significance with plenty of players aiming to get their name in the headlines and impress the relevant selectors.
As usual, there have been some big signings in the off season - at the top of that list is the self-styled 'World Boss' Mr Chris Gayle.
The leading run scorer in T20 history (by a huge margin, too!) is back for the Bash having missed last season, but this time he'll be wearing Melbourne Renegades red; Aaron Finch's side will be desperately hoping the real Chris Gayle turns up, not the one who bombed dramatically in his final season at Sydney Thunder.
Sri Lanka legends Kumar Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardene will add a touch of class and experience to the Hobart Hurricanes and Adelaide Strikers respectively, while Jaques Kallis returns for the Thunder. Add the explosive West Indian trio of Andre Russell (Thunder), Darren Sammy (Hurricanes) and Dwayne Bravo (Renegades) into the mix and we have another potent array of overseas stars.
One slight disappointment is that the number of Englishmen in the tournament seems to be dropping - there were 11 in Big Bash 3, eight last year and six this season - but there are some fascinating signings.
New Strikers coach, Jason Gillespie, has brought Adil Rashid with him from Headingley and, in a competition packed with leg spinners, how he deals with the added pressure of being the overseas 'Pro' will be of great interest to England; the decision not to take him to South Africa with the Test side and allow him to play in the Bash underlines Andrew Strauss's desire to put more emphasis on England's white-ball cricket.
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Gillespie's appointment is also interesting. Yorkshire have allowed him to take up the role over the winter presumably as they a) want to keep him happy and b) hope it will improve their T20 form, which has been well below where it should be.
Don't worry all you Yorkies out there, he will be back in time for pre-season but I wonder whether he is seen by Cricket Australia as a strong candidate to succeed Darren Lehmann as coach of the national side. You certainly can't question his CV and he is an excellent man-manager.
David Willey also has a great opportunity to further his career with a season at the Perth Scorchers, a side who are up there with the top IPL teams as the best in the world. Will he open the bowling? Where will he bat?
The WACA can be a tough place to impress but after a rocky start last year Michael Carberry eventually won over the very vocal locals and hopefully Willey can do the same.
Michael Lumb (Sydney Sixers), Luke Wright and Kevin Pietersen (both Melbourne Stars) are the other three English players involved. KP proved an instant hit with the Stars last year and if I was a betting man I'd put a couple of shillings on him to be among the top-run scorers again this season - in seven games for the Dolphins in the Ram Slam he averaged 80 at a strike rate of 172 so I'd say he's in half-decent nick!
I'm going to base my predictions on bowling attacks this year as I reckon the teams with the best bowlers generally rise to the top in T20. The Scorchers will be without Adam Voges and the Marsh brothers for much of the tournament, which severely weakens their batting, and Yasir Arafat has left, but they still have a brilliant, savvy attack and I can see them making the semi-finals.
The Strikers have some exciting and powerful young batsmen but their bowling doesn't look as strong. The Renegades and Hurricanes may face similar problems despite having strong batting line ups. I'm backing the Heat as potential 'Wooden Spoonists' again, so that leaves the Stars, Sixers and Thunder.
I think these three might join the Scorchers in the semi-finals on account of their superior bowling, although I'm finding it hard to back the Thunder who have been consistently awful for the last four years!
This year, though, they've made some canny signings in Shane Watson, Andre Russell, Clint Mckay and Fawad Ahmed and I just fancy them to be the dark horse of BBL 5. Don't let me down lads!
I'm not brave enough to say they'll lift the trophy, though. Last year I backed the Stars to go all the way so I might as well chuck my lot in with them again - surely they can't lose a fifth semi-final in a row?!
We've got a new set this year, right by the entrance to Sky Studios so we'll occasionally be grabbing pundits from other sports on their way in to test out their cricket knowledge - I wonder which Bash side Thierry Henry supports?
We start with a real Christmas Cracker - the Thunder entertain the Sixers in what is sure to be a raucous Sydney Derby. Make sure you join us on Thursday at 8.30am on Sky Sports 1.
