5 Bowlers who can end up as the leading wicket-takers in the BBL 7

Mitchell Johnson’s fiery performance for the Perth Scorchers in the last edition of the Big Bash League in the semis inspite of being a veteran will always occupy a spot in the heart of every BBL fanatic out there. His stunning, quick-fire bowling spells broke the backbone of the opposition leaving them whimpering on the sidelines.

The impact of a couple of top quality bowlers on the team’s overall morale and the final result can be massive. The Perth Scorchers are an example of a unit which has been increasingly successful in the league with a strong fast bowling unit which is an indication of the overall impact.

An effective opening spell with some early wickets can certainly make the job of a captain easier and turn the match increasingly in favour of the bowling side. Sean Abbott, Andrew Tye, Doug Bollinger, Brad Hogg are some examples of bowlers who have been increasingly effective in the format and can be expected to be amongst the wickets this season.

With the Big Bash all set to be battled out soon, let’s take a look at the 5 bowlers who will be expected to be amongst the wickets:

1. Mitchell Johnson (Perth Scorchers):

Hailed as one of the best though injury prone bowlers in cricketing history, the veteran left-arm swing bowler enjoys the ability to change the game completely with some impressive swing and impressive bounce. Johnson endured a tough start to his career after restricted game time due to injuries and was further criticised by experts who described him as talented though fragile. The Australian sportingly took it into his stride and made his impact in the 2013 Ashes against England largely dominating them with some chin music and lethal pace. His solo campaign with the Perth Scorchers was increasingly joyous with Johnson a major game changer for the outfit. He will be expected to continue in the same vein this season.

2. Sean Abbott (Sydney Sixers):

The talented fast bowler who was recognised as a teen sensation because of his immense maturity and ability to unnerve the batsman has been the go to bowler for the Sydney Sixers. Abbott enjoys the ability to scoop early wickets and generate impressive bounce which earned him the leading wicket taker’s tag with 20 wickets and also a lot of praise from fans, experts alike. Abbott will be expected to lead from the front for the Sixers again in the absence of legendary Sixers bowler Brett Lee.

3. Andrew Tye (Perth Scorchers):

The 31 year-old Perth Scorchers pace bowler enjoys the ability to generate natural outswing and reverse swing the old ball which makes it difficult to pick his deliveries, especially under bowler-friendly conditions. Tye played a clinical role in the Scorchers’s victorious BBL campaign last season and recently emerged as the first bowler to swoop a hat-trick on debut in the IPL for the Gujarat Lions. His ability to bowl the “knuckle ball” and deceive the batsman along with his inch-perfect yorkers have resulted in a lot of success. Tye can certainly deliver the goods this season again.

4. Rashid Khan (Adelaide Strikers):

The 18-year-old Afghanistan based leg-spinner enjoys the ability to befuddle the batsmen with his variations and speed which earns him a lot of wickets especially considering the movement he generates at high speeds leaving the batsman with no time to react. Khan was extremely impressive in the IPL for the SunRisers emerging as one amongst the leading wicket-takers during his sole IPL campaign. He can certainly deliver more of the same for the Brisbane Heat.

5. Brad Hogg (Melbourne Renegades):

The veteran 46-year-old chinaman has been a prime example of the fact that “age has no impact” on the performance of a player. His sublime performances for the Perth Scorchers in the BBL before recently switching over to the Melbourne Renegades are the testimony to that. Having impressed in the IPL for the Kolkata Knight Riders and Rajasthan Royals previously, Hogg will be eager to scoop a few wickets and baffle young batsmen with his experience this season.