5 Exciting cricketers who emerged from the BBL

The beauty of Australian cricket lies in the fact that talented youngsters are churned out at every stage due to the world-class sporting facilities and system introduced since their poor performance in the Olympics. Legendary cricketers like Steve Waugh, Matthew Hayden, Brett Lee, Glenn McGrath whose absence would have hampered and even left a void in any country’s cricketing system were replaced effectively because of the constant flow of talent in the country.

The popular T20 league Big Bash has also witnessed the emergence of several talented Australian youngsters who went on to represent the country after coming into the limelight on the back of awe-inspiring performances in the league.

With the BBL all set to kick off from December 17, let’s take a trip down the memory lane and look at 5 cricketers who emerged from the Big Bash League:

1. David Warner

The current Aussie vice-captain and swashbuckling Australian opener had gained a reputation of being an exciting youngster and one to watch out for on the back of consistent performances in local clashes. However, what made fans and experts sit up and take notice were his inspiring performances with the willow for the New South Wales in the BBL, Champions League and further on for the Sydney Sixers. Warner’s fearless cricketing approach at the top of the order and consistent run-scoring tally instantly made him a fan favourite and forced the selectors to take notice of his talent propelling him to the Australian cricket team.

2. Nic Maddinson

The absence of established names like Steve Smith and David Warner due to international duty for Australia paved the way for a new set of recruits in the BBL for the Sydney Sixers. In stepped Nic Maddinson who was a largely unknown entity in Australian cricket so far. He took the opportunity presented with both hands smashing bowlers left, right and center leaving them bemused and opposition captains befuddled. His exploits in the BBL encouraged the Royal Challengers Bangalore to invest in his services with his performances also encouraging the selectors to give him opportunities in the country ‘s T20 setup.

3. Moises Henriques

The Sydney Sixers captain who has Portuguese roots was one of the key men behind the New South Wales triumph in the BBL and T20 Champions League. His hitting abilities, maturity beyond the years and ability to bowl effectively in the middle overs and even under pressure brought him into the fore. Henriques continued delivering impressive performances for the Sydney Sixers which resulted in concrete attention from IPL franchises with the most recent being Sun Risers Hyderabad and also propelled him to being a regular in the country’s International T20 setup.

4. Ben Dunk

The 30-year-old wicketkeeper-batsman may be infamous for switching loyalties and franchises at the snap of a finger in the BBL but denying his talent and capabilities will be nothing short of a foolish decision. Dunk emerged into the fore in 2013-14 for the Hobert Hurricanes emerging as the leading run scorer with 395 runs at an average of 43.88 which made him an immensely popular figure. This earned him a lot of offers from CPL franchises with Dunk making his IPL debut for the Mumbai Indians.

5. Dan Christian

The 34-year-old burst into the scene after consistent performances for BBL franchise Brisbane Heat with his big hitting and efficient bowling performances drawing in a world record bid from the Sun Risers Hyderabad in the IPL auctions. Currently the leading run scorer and wicket -taker for the Brisbane Heat, Christian is also a regular part of the Australian national team on the back of his BBL performances.