BBL 2017-18: 5 Australian players to watch out for

The Big Bash League will feature eight teams that battled in the previous season. The seventh edition of Big Bash League will span for 45 days and is expected to have too much firepower as big guns from all the cricketing nations have joined their respective teams and are hungry to express themselves.

Turning seven is a remarkable number for any T20 tournament that has stolen the heart of a cricket fan. BBL has over the years produced local players like Jason Behrendorff and Marcus Stoinis who have initiated their international career after proving their stature at this level. Whereas it has revived the career of players like Glenn Maxwell and George Bailey. Players love participating in this tournament not only because it pays well, but has also become a symbol of achievement in their career. With just over a week for the excitement to begin, CricTracker brings five players to watch out this season.

1. Jason Behrendorff (Perth Scorchers)

Australians are known for their ability to pick wickets in quick succession and Jason Behrendorff is one of the many, who has a good BBL record, could find himself in the reckoning. Considering his recent performance in the domestic circuit, the Australian selectors named him in the 15-member squad for T20I series against India this summer.

With a phenomenal T20 record, Behrendorff will be charged up for another good season. As the competition intensifies among the pacers he can very well eye that spot and be a regular face in the yellow jersey. His four for 21 runs against India has helped him to occupy the first spot.

2. Glenn Maxwell (Melbourne Stars)

Second in the list is undoubtedly Glenn Maxwell. With James Faulkner out of favour and Mitchell Marsh sidelined after injuries, Maxwell has become Australia’s preferred batting all-rounder. However, despite being the first choice of the selectors in limited-overs, he was not able to find a place in Australia’s squad for Ashes 2017-18.

His counterpart, Mitch Marsh was chosen ahead of him even after scoring a double hundred in the domestic tournament. This makes Big Bash League all the more important for the 29-year-old lad. In last season, Maxwell played just four matches and ended up scoring 117 runs with an astonishing strike rate of 164.79. He will look to be active this season and with remarkable show confirm his International spot in all three formats.

3. Marcus Stoinis (Melbourne Stars)

The 28-year-old has been proving his worth in the domestic circuit for quite some time now and has been credited with the International call-up. The format, however, has never seemed to bother Stoinis, who has excelled in the Sheild Cup as well as the BBL. Though last season is something he will want to forget as soon as possible as the all-rounder wasn’t among the runs and neither was he able to pick wickets.

However, his power-hitting coupled with the ability to face fast bowlers would be the thing to watch out for this time round. Considering his recent performance against India, Marcus will definitely look to change those numbers and come back stronger.

4. Chris Lynn (Brisbane Heat)

There’s definitely something about the name ‘Chris’ and T20 tournament. First, it was Chris Gayle and now its Chris Lynn. With most sixes, best strike-rate, most number of fifty plus scores and the second highest run scorer in Big Bash League, he is our fourth Aussie player to watch out for the upcoming tournament.

Lynn plays for the blue jersey in BBL and has been doing extensively well in this format. In the last season, he scored 309 runs in just five matches which includes three fifty-plus scores as well. Coming back from a long injury layoff. He will look to continue his prime form this season and set things rolling for the bigger assignments.

5. George Bailey (Hobart Hurricanes)

After captaining Australia in the limited-overs format and being a part of World Cup winning squad in 2015, George Bailey has been one of the unluckiest players who seems to be out of contention for quite some time now. To bring back the lost regime, the seventh edition will be the best time to consolidate and prove his stature again.

Playing for Hobart Hurricanes, George had a decent stint, scoring 247 runs in eight matches at an average of almost 50. Being 35 years old, the veteran will have to push hard as he is still left with at least 2-3 years of cricket.