BBL Supercoach | BBL15 Predicted Big Bash XIs

And just like that, the Big Bash League preseason has started!

In what is shaping up as one of the best summers in recent memories, the Big Bash is once again right around the corner to bring you your nightly dose of entertainment and Supercoach.

Below are the predicted starting XIs for every club and some notes on the players to watch. 

Now there are many factors which will become clearer as we get closer to the first game on 14 December in Perth – injuries, availability, form and most likely new signings and replacement players. 

But as it stands, these are the sides we expect to see roll out in Round 1.

The biggest change is the Internationals, who are all signed for the whole season, barring Sam Curran, Lockie Ferguson and David Payne.

So if you like bringing in the big guns to your team, it should be a lot simpler to do so this summer.

When new information comes to light, we’ll update this article.

So bookmark it and check in whenever news breaks, where we’ll break down what it means.

Let’s dive in!

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Adelaide Strikers Predicted XI

	Starting XI
1	Matt Short
2	Mackenzie Harvey
3	Chris Lynn
4	Jason Sangha
5	Alex Ross
6	Jamie Overton
7	Harry Neilsen
8	Luke Wood
9	Henry Thornton
10	Hassan Ali
11	Lloyd Pope
	Reserves
12	Jordan Buckingham
13	Alex Carey
14	Thomas Kelly
15	Cameron Boyce
16	Liam Scott
17	Travis Head
18	TBC

With the departures of top-order options in D’Arcy Short and Jake Weatherald, two new recruits look set for roles in the top order.

Mac Harvey has had a stop-start career to date in the Big Bash for the Renegades, but could be used as an opener, as he has been for his adopted state of South Australia in One Day cricket. 

Off the back of a Supercoach average of only 17 last season, should he land the role, he’d be a lock as a cheapie in a batter slot.

Jason Sangha has similarly joined the Strikers after a successful move to South Australia last summer and looks an obvious candidate to bat in the top 4.

He’s a productive T20 cricketer who could offer some overs of spin at times.

Internationals Luke Wood and Hassan Ali are new and should provide eight overs of pace, while Englishman Jamie Overton has shown himself to be one of the best Supercoach players in the whole league. 

Having Harry Neilsen as the only wicket keeper in the team means Overton should be locked into a top 6 role with the bat.

Alex Carey is a good chance to join the team for the backend and Finals, pending how he pulls up post-Ashes.

Henry Thornton has been electric at times in the tournament and has been in fine form. Picking the right time to own him could result in a huge upswing.

Unfortunately, with Ali and Overton in the side, he’s not likely to bowl many death overs, but that’s never really stopped him from being productive in the past.

Matt Short remains an absolute premium off the back of a BBL14 campaign which saw him average 81.3 Supercoach points.

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Brisbane Heat Predicted XI

	Starting XI
1	Colin Munro
2	Nathan McSweeney
3	Matt Renshaw
4	Tom Alsop
5	Max Bryant
6	Hugh Weibgen
7	Jack Wildermuth
8	Michael Neser
9	Xavier Bartlett
10	Matthew Kuhnemann
11	Shaheen Afridi
	Reserves
12	Spencer Johnson
13	Callum Vidler
14	Marnus Labuschagne
15	Usman Khawaja
16	Lachlan Hearne
17	Oli Patterson
18	Jimmy Peirson

Test selections look set to once again wreak havoc with the Heat squad, with Marnus and Usman unavailable until the later stages and even McSweeney, Matt Renshaw and Michael Neser on the fringes.

A potentially long-term injury to marquee man Spencer Johnson is a shame, but it will be well offset by the presence of Shaheen Afridi, who is an unbelievable talent. 

Rookie Callum Vidler is also unavailable with stress fractures.

There are big wraps on fellow rookie Oli Patterson, who starred in the KFC T20 Max tournament to earn himself a spot in the squad.

The wicket-keeper spot is up for grabs and seemingly down to either Englishman Tom Alsop or the reliable Jimmy Peirson.

Neither will offer much Supercoach relevance unless selected to open and bottom dollar.

Hugh Weibgen is a new face and a great talent, but probably doesn’t have the role for Supercoach success. He could nail down the number 6 role and even offer some overs of spin in a pinch.

Jack Wildermuth is also a good chance of replacing Spencer Johnson, although every year I feel like we say the same thing about him. 

His feats with the bat are almost as impressive as with the ball these days, so if selected, he could be a valuable all-rounder and a potential Supercoach weapon.

The ramifications are actually poor for Michael Neser if Wildermuth does get picked, however, as he’d likely bat beneath him at number 8.

It’s all a moot point, however, if Johnson is fit to play, so just pay attention to that before going new either Neser or Wildermuth.

Off the back of a 48 average last summer, Xavier Bartlett is undervalued for what we know he can do.

Expect a breakout year for X – he’s the next great white ball bowler for Australia.

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Hobart Hurricanes Predicted XI

	Starting XI
1	Mitch Owen
2	Matt Wade (wk)
3	Ben McDermott
4	Tim David
5	Rehan Ahmed
6	Nikhil Chaudhary
7	Chris Jordan
8	Nathan Ellis
9	Rishad Hossain
10	Riley Meredith
11	Billy Stanlake
	Reserves
12	Jackson Bird
13	Iain Carlisle
14	Beau Webster
15	Mac Wright
16	Jake Weatherald
17	TBC
18	TBC

If you could create the perfect T20 side on paper, most of the ingredients would be present in this Hurricanes side. And somehow, through recruitment, they’ve gotten even scarier.

Perhaps the most impressive last season was their ability to finish games with the bat.

So much has been made in T20 cricket of ‘death bowlers’, but between David, Wade, McDermott, Chaudhary and Jordan, they’ve got some of the scariest middle to late order batters in the world, let alone the competition.

Not a lot has changed from a Supercoach perspective, but knowing they’re a great team with a fortress for a home ground means owning them at the right time is good for business.

Starting with the obvious, Mitch Owen is going to be frightening not to own. 

Since his emergence from cheapie to comp winner last year, he’s debuted for Australia in T20 and ODI cricket and performed well.

Interestingly, he’s bowled a lot more consistently for Australia than he did for Hobart last season.

Should he add that string to his bow this Big Bash season, he could become the best player in Supercoach.

Jake Weatherald will likely slot straight into the Top 3 when available, however his Test selection will likely see Rehan Ahmed come into the middle order.

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The two new Internationals are both incredibly intriguing; Ahmed could be one of the biggest talking points all preseason. But it’s not a sure thing that they both fit into the best XI, especially with Weatherald available.

Rishad Hossain is the new toy that was actively praised last summer by Ricky Ponting for his bowling in the T20 World Cup. 

He was signed for BBL14 but withdrew, and starts a bit above cheapie pricing at $117,500.

The Bangladeshi has a T20I strike-rate of 16, which underlines his profile as a wicket-taker.

Ahmed is an intriguing one based on the pedigree – he’s transformed this summer into a genuine allrounder and has batted at 6 for England in T20 Internationals, but is first and foremost another leggie.

He’s even batted at number 3 domestically during the recent Hundred tournament. 

Last year, Riley Meredith was the cheaper fast bowler who scored well for Supercoach. And this year, there’s likely a spot to fill between Billy Stanlake and likely new recruit Jackson Bird. 

Neither are a guarantee to play every game or even fulfil their overs allotment given the presence of bowling options in the Top 6, so steer clear.

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Melbourne Renegades Predicted XI

	Starting XI
1	Caleb Jewell
2	Mohammad Rizwan (wk)
3	Jake Fraser-McGurk
4	Tim Seifert (wk)
5	Ollie Peake
6	Hassan Khan
7	Will Sutherland
8	Tom Rogers
9	Adam Zampa
10	Jason Behrendorff
11	Brendan Doggett
	Reserves
12	Josh Brown
13	Nathan Lyon
14	Callum Stow
15	Harry Dixon
16	Fergus O’Neill
17	Gurinder Sandhu
18	Will Salzmann

An abundance of opening options makes picking this lineup very difficult.

Caleb Jewell has signed from the Hurricanes and could usurp Josh Brown, who was ordinary in his first season in Red.

Also in the top 3 could be Jake Fraser-McGurk and Mohammad Rizwan, who will take the gloves.

The Pakistani keeper is a world-class talent but is expected to come with a big price tag.

The recruitment of Jason Behrendorff gives the ‘Gades a genuine marquee fast bowler. He should enjoy home conditions at Geelong and Marvel Stadium.

Let’s face it – he’s one bowler who doesn’t need conditions in his favour to have a day out.

Will Sutherland should again be popular and may bat at six should Hassan Khan earn selection. This would give him one of the best roles in Supercoach.

Callum Stow isn’t a walk-up start in this side, but could be used in partnership with Adam Zampa at times.

He played two games last season and, despite being a youngster, he has genuine wicket-taking ability, which could make him a good gamble if selected.

Between Ollie Peake and Harry Dixon, there’s a swath of young batting options to choose from, and the only knock on them, plus Brown and Jewell – is likely to be job security.

Will Salzmann is their last squad member added but could be an interesting prospect. He’s a fast bowler who opened the batting for the NSW Blues in their recent Shield match. To take a blocker-ism from the NRL, “he’s a cricketer this kid”.

He might not make it into the XI but could be an excellent rookie if he did. Certainly worth putting in the black book.

Unless we see Marvel Stadium return to an absolute road, you’d want to steer clear of their batsman anyway.

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Melbourne Stars Predicted XI

	Starting XI
1	Tom Rogers
2	Joe Clarke (wk)
3	Marcus Stoinis
4	Glenn Maxwell
5	Hilton Cartwright
6	Tom Curran
7	Mitch Swepson
8	Liam Hatcher
9	Mark Steketee
10	Peter Siddle
11	Haris Rauf
	Reserves
12	Hamish McKenzie
13	Campbell Kellaway
14	Sam Harper
15	Austin Anzerlak
16	Scott Boland
17	TBC
18	TBC

Glenn Maxwell’s insane finish to the BBL season last year thankfully happened off the back of a slow start, meaning his price isn’t completely ridiculous.

Once again, just try to get him and hold him for the season if you can afford it.

Not a lot else has changed elsewhere for the Stars other than the recruitment of Mitch Swepson.

He should be cheap, but in a lineup with seven bowling options isn’t assured of his full allotment.

Joe Clarke’s return should see Sam Harper riding the pine, while Beau Webster’s defection to Hobart means Tom Curran is locked into a juicy role for Supercoach batting 6 and bowling death overs.

The presence of Maxwell and Stoinis in the Top 6 means bowlers from the Stars are hard to trust.

Ideally, you’d pick up those two all-rounders before relying on any of their other squad members to be guaranteed their overs.

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Perth Scorchers Predicted XI

	Starting XI
1	Finn Allen
2	Mitch Marsh
3	Cooper Connolly
4	Josh Inglis
5	Ashton Turner
6	Aaron Hardie
7	Laurie Evans
8	Ashton Agar
9	Mahli Beardman
10	Jhye Richardson
11	Matt Kelly
	Reserves
12	David Payne
13	Sam Fanning
14	Liam Haskett
15	Joel Paris
16	Nick Hobson
17	Brody Crouch
18	Bryce Jackson

Mitch Marsh’s availability for the whole season is a coup. Although if he does end up in an Ashes squad (for the record, I don’t think he should), the order could be thrown into chaos.

Don’t expect Bison the allrounder – he barely bowls these days and they’ve got better options – but quite simply, he is way too good for this tournament and should be the favourite to be the leading run scorer.

Beneath the openers, the exact order is hard to pin down and may depend on the availability of Josh Inglis.

Inglis could be unavailable if selected in the Test squad, with local keeper options Joel Curtis or Baxter Holt no doubt on standby. Both are unsigned but would be an instant Local Replacement Player (LRP) option as required.

Between Cooper Connolly and Aaron Hardie they’ve got two incredible all-rounders who can share the 5th bowler duties.

One of them likely bats at 3, whilst the other could slide to 6 or 7, depending on the Inglis situation.

The turnover in the fast bowling ranks is where there’s intrigue for me for Supercoach.

Jhye Richardson’s fitness is always a key figure in their success, and Lance Morris’ season-ending stress fractures and the defection of Jason Behrendorff means that there are overs available in the attack. 

AJ Tye also is also unsigned and the squad is now full… father-time may have finally caught up.

David Payne is back after a stint at the Strikers, but won’t be available until after his ILT20 commitments finish. 

So who do they have available?

Joel Paris returns after stints with Hobart and the Stars and is as good as any bowler in the country on his day – but trusting his body has proven troublesome throughout his career.

Matt Kelly could bowl death, having previously starred in that role some summers ago.

Youngsters Mahli Beardman and Liam Haskett are the wildcards in the bowling lineup, and if defending big totals from their all-star batting lineup could be in the wickets. Bryce Jackson and Brody Couch are in the same category.

Kelly aside, there’s a huge swing in experience in the options they’ve got, and it screams to me that Connolly and Hardie could both be bowling a lot.

In all it’s a stacked batting card with two genuine all-rounders, and whoever bowls the death overs will become a very hot commodity.

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Sydney Sixers Predicted XI

	Starting XI
1	Josh Philippe
2	Babar Azam
3	Dan Hughes
4	Moises Henriques
5	Jordan Silk
6	Jack Edwards
7	Ben Dwarshuis
8	Hayden Kerr
9	Sean Abbott
10	Jofar Chohan
11	Todd Murphy
	Reserves
12	Joel Davies
13	Steve Smith
14	Ben Manenti
15	Mitch Perry
16	Sam Curran
17	Lachlan Shaw
18	Kane Richardson

Babar Azam is one of the biggest names to join the BBL ever. His partnership with Josh Philippe at the top of the order has the potential to be exhilarating.

Again, he’s too good for this tournament in many ways.

Jack Edwards continues to mature as a bowler, and with his role batting at 6, should make him one of the stars of Supercoach. There’s a world where he bats as high as three also with young Lachie Shaw into the middle order, but until we see trial games we’re guessing.

Ben Dwarshuis was a breakout star last season, most notably for his batting efforts, alongside his usual class with the ball.

He’s been in career-best form in International cricket and should be a priority target when the Sixers have the double.

Sean Abbott could be unavailable if travelling with the Test side, which could bring new recruit Kane Richardson into prominence.

It would also open up more death bowling overs for Edwards.

Jofar Chohan starred for the Sixers during the Finals series, but only averaged 5 in two appearances last season.

If cheap and selected in their best XI, he could make money quickly.

He’s likely battling with Joel Davies, Hayden Kerr and Ben Manenti for two spots.

The batting lineup is largely settled, but there could be some movement at number 3 until Steve Smith joins the side post Ashes.

It likely falls to Dan Hughes, but he’s 36 and without a NSW Blues contract anymore.

Kurtis Patterson played there last year but is unsigned.

Sam Curran is an astute signing who will help bowl death and provide some spark in the batting order, but doesn’t join the team until later in the tournament.

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Sydney Thunder Predicted XI

	Starting XI
1	Sam Konstas
2	David Warner
3	Cameron Bancroft
4	Ollie Davies
5	Sam Billings (WK)
6	Shadab Khan
7	Dan Sams
8	Chris Green
9	Nathan McAndrew
10	Tom Andrews
11	Tanveer Sangha
	Reserves
12	Lockie Ferguson
13	Blake Nikitaras
14	Matt Gilkes
15	Ryan Hadley
16	Aidan O’Connor
17	Wes Agar
18	TBC (Ashwin replacement)

Ravi Ashwin has been ruled out of the entire tournament due to injury in a blow for the competition.

Sam Konstas could feature for the Thunder if not selected for the Ashes which is looking more likely by the day.

Otherwise, Matt Gilkes or Blake Nikitaras could partner with Warner at the top of the list.

Shadab Khan is worth monitoring due to his all-around ability.

His ability to bat as high as number 4 and bowl four overs of spin makes him a very valuable Supercoach commodity.

The likes of Nathan McAndrew, Wes Agar and Ryan Hadley will battle for a quick bowling spot.

Lockie Ferguson will join the side later in the season after his ILT20 commitments.