BBL preview: Squads, fixtures, overseas names, players to watch

Adelaide Strikers

(Tristan Lavalette)
Captain Matt Short
Coach Tim Paine
Fixtures Click here

Squad* Fabian Allen, James Bazley, Cameron Boyce, Jordan Buckingham, Alex Carey, Brendan Doggett, Travis Head, Thomas Kelly, Chris Lynn, Harry Nielsen, Jamie Overton, Lloyd Pope, Ollie Pope, Alex Ross, D'Arcy Short, Matt Short, Henry Thornton, Jake Weatherald

How they stack up

Strikers struggled for consistency last season, but a stunning upset of Perth Scorchers at Optus Stadium in the knockout final has them believing they aren't far off the pace. They had a significant off-field change with coach Jason Gillespie departing for Pakistan and replaced by former Test captain Tim Paine, who was an assistant with Strikers last season. For the second straight season will be without legspinner Rashid Khan, who opted to skip the tournament after missing last season with a back injury. Strikers pre-signed England Test batter Ollie Pope before retaining allrounder Jamie Overton with their platinum selection. They also selected West Indian Fabian Allen in a bid to strengthen their middle-order and spin stocks. South Australia quick Jordan Buckingham has effectively replaced Wes Agar, who was traded to Sydney Thunder.

Player to watch

Matt Short did not make the most of his opportunities at the top of the order in the ODI and T20I series against Pakistan as the Champions Trophy approaches. He will be aiming for another big BBL campaign after smashing 541 runs at 60 with a strike-rate of 153 last season to claim back-to-back BBL MVP awards. Short's handy offspin, often used to start an innings, and strong leadership makes him Strikers' talisman.

Availability issues

Chris Lynn will be available for the entire season having previously left early for the UAE league, while Pope will miss the early stages due to England's current tour of New Zealand. Overton and Allen should be free throughout, while Test players Travis Head and Alex Carey may be available for three games at the backend of the regular season before they fly off to Sri Lanka.

Brisbane Heat

(Tristan Lavalette)
Captain Usman Khawaja
Coach Johan Botha
Fixtures Click here

Squad Tom Alsop, Xavier Bartlett, Max Bryant, Spencer Johnson, Usman Khawaja, Matthew Kuhnemann, Marnus Labuschagne, Nathan McSweeney, Colin Munro, Michael Neser, Jimmy Peirson, Will Prestwidge, Matthew Renshaw, Mitchell Swepson, Callum Vidler, Paul Walter, Jack Wildermuth, Jack Wood

How they stack up

As the defending champions, after a memorable finals campaign, Heat as expected have made few changes. Perhaps their most significant is off-field with Johan Botha replacing Wade Seccombe as coach. Heat did lose big-hitting Josh Brown, who starred in last season's finals, to Renegades and Sam Billings to Thunder. But Colin Munro and left-handed allrounder Paul Walter, who became a fan favourite, will return. Heat drafted English Tom Alsop to specifically help provide middle-order depth and he can also take the gloves.

Player to watch

After a breakout season in 2022-23, Spencer Johnson was one of the very best bowlers in the BBL last season and a key in Heat's triumph. He is now on the fringes of Australia's white-ball teams and produced a maiden five-wicket haul in international career after destroying Pakistan last month at the SCG. His fiery left-arm bowling is particularly challenging on the bouncy Gabba surface, while his new ball partnership with seamer Xavier Bartlett often ignited Heat last season.

Availability issues

Overseas players Munro, Walter and Alsop are available for the entire season. Test players Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne and Nathan McSweeney, who captained Heat to last season's title, will have a window of availability in the backend of the regular season. They are likely to be part of the Sri Lanka tour, while spinners Matthew Kuhnemann and Mitchell Swepson could also be in the selection mix.

Hobart Hurricanes

(Tristan Lavalette)
Captain Nathan Ellis
Coach Jeff Vaughan
Fixtures Click here

Squad Iain Carlisle, Nikhil Chaudhary, Tim David, Paddy Dooley, Jake Doran, Nathan Ellis, Peter Hatzoglou, Shai Hope, Waqar Salamkheil, Caleb Jewell, Chris Jordan, Ben McDermott, Riley Meredith, Mitch Owen, Billy Stanlake, Matthew Wade, Charlie Wakim, Mac Wright

How they stack up

Apart from Melbourne Stars, Hurricanes are the only team without a BBL title and have missed the finals in three of the past four seasons. They have a familiar core, but their big addition is West Indies batter Shai Hope, who is hoped to strengthen a top-order that has misfired in previous seasons. Hurricanes selected Bangladesh legspinner Rishad Hossain with their third pick in the overseas draft, but he has since been ruled out of the entire tournament due to international commitments and the Bangladesh Premier League. Afghanistan left-arm wrist-spinner Waqar Salamkheil has been signed as an overseas replacement. English quick Chris Jordan returns as their direct overseas signing, while Indian Nikhil Chaudhary will be back after his powerful middle-order batting provided a bright spot for Hurricanes during a breakout last season.

Player to watch

Tim David's struggles mirrored Hurricanes' woes last season after he finished with just 112 runs at a modest strike-rate - by his standards - of 134.94 from nine innings. There has been debate over the years on whether David should be moved up the order from his specialist role as a finisher, which he occupies for Australia, but he is likely to remain at No. 6 to start the season. David has gone off the boil at the international level ever since a subpar T20 World Cup and he had little impact against Pakistan in the recent T20I series. He will be keen for a big BBL campaign to ensure he remains firmly part of Australia's T20 plans.

Availability issues

Hope will miss the early stages due to West Indies' white-ball series against Bangladesh before being available for a block of matches until the ILT20, while Salamkheil can play the first six matches before he also departs for the Dubai league. Jordan along with Matthew Wade and legspinner Peter Hatzoglou will only leave for the ILT20 after the BBL. They are unlikely to have anyone in contention for the Sri Lanka tour.

Melbourne Renegades

(Tristan Lavalette)
Captain Will Sutherland
Coach Cameron White
Fixtures Click here

Squad Jacob Bethell, Josh Brown, Xavier Crone, Harry Dixon, Laurie Evans, Jake Fraser-McGurk, Marcus Harris, Mackenzie Harvey, Hassan Khan, Nathan Lyon, Fergus O'Neill, Kane Richardson, Tom Rogers, Gurinder Sandhu, Tim Seifert, Will Sutherland, Jon Wells, Adam Zampa

How they stack up

After a disappointing seventh-placed finish last season, Renegades have overhauled their roster and transitioned after the retirements of stalwarts Aaron Finch and Shaun Marsh, while skipper Nic Maddinson moved to Thunder. Will Sutherland will take the captaincy reins, while Cameron White has replaced David Saker as coach. They went about replenishing the batting by selecting Laurie Evans, who last season was dynamic for Scorchers in the middle-order, with their platinum pick in the draft and signing Heat title-winning opener Josh Brown. Fresh off a couple of eye-catching innings during England's Test tour of New Zealand, left-handed Jacob Bethell enters with a lot of expectation and adds firepower along with New Zealand wicketkeeper-batter Tim Seifert. Marcus Harris brings experience to the batting, while USA spin-bowling allrounder Hassan Khan was added as a replacement player. Completing Renegades' overhaul, Thunder stalwart Gurinder Sandhu along with Xavier Crone and Fergus O'Neill have been recruited to strengthen their pace stocks.

Player to watch

Will Sutherland steps into shoes previously held by Maddinson and Finch but can lean on his experience captaining Victoria in the Sheffield Shield and the One-Day Cup, while he was also interim skipper of Renegades for four games last season. Sutherland is working his way back from a side strain, which has kept him on the sidelines since early November, and his form this season might dictate how the Renegades fare. His aggressive pace bowling and destructive batting at the death make him a potential match-winner. Having played a couple of ODIs last season, Sutherland is firmly on the radar of Australia's hierarchy.

Availability Issues

Evans will be available for around six games until the ILT20, while Bethell will likely be free to play a block of three or four games between international commitments. Nathan Lyon will have availability for a few games in January before heading off to the tour of Sri Lanka, while Seifert and opener Jake Fraser-McGurk will play the entire season before heading to the ILT20.

Melbourne Stars

(Tristan Lavalette)
Captain Marcus Stoinis
Coach Peter Moores
Fixtures Click here

Squad Scott Boland, Hilton Cartwright, Joe Clarke, Brody Couch, Tom Curran, Ben Duckett, Sam Harper, Campbell Kellaway, Glenn Maxwell, Hamish McKenzie, Jon Merlo, Adam Milne, Usama Mir, Joel Paris, Tom Rogers, Peter Siddle, Mark Steketee, Marcus Stoinis, Doug Warren, Beau Webster.

How they stack up

The high-profile Stars have never won a title and also failed to reach the finals over the past four seasons. They are hoping for a turnaround amid a significant leadership change with Glenn Maxwell handing over the captaincy reins to Marcus Stoinis. They lured allrounder Tom Curran from Sydney Sixers before selecting England opener Ben Duckett with the top pick in a draft selection that surprised some observers. Usama Mir was selected to bolster their spin options, but he will miss the first three matches of the season with New Zealand quick Adam Milne signed as a replacement.

Player to watch

After five seasons as captain, Glenn Maxwell can now purely focus on his batting and he'll be keen to recapture his brilliant best following a modest T20 World Cup. He mostly struggled in the recent white-ball series against Pakistan although did rewind the clock with a 19-ball 43 in a rain-affected T20I match at the Gabba. But he suffered a hamstring injury in the final match in Hobart and faces a race against time to be fit for the season opener against Scorchers. If he is fit and firing this season then it could lift Stars up the ladder.

Availability issues

Duckett will miss the opening three games of the BBL season as he completes his Test duties in New Zealand with Joe Clarke set for his second stint at Stars as a replacement. Duckett is also set to miss the backend of the season due to England's white-ball tour of India. Scott Boland and allrounder Beau Webster may miss the early stages while part of Australia's Test squad. Stoinis and Curran are available for the entire BBL season before flying off to leagues in South Africa and the UAE respectively.

Perth Scorchers

(Tristan Lavalette)
Captain Ashton Turner
Coach Adam Voges
Fixtures Click here

Squad Ashton Agar, Finn Allen, Mahli Beardman, Jason Behrendorff, Cooper Connolly, Sam Fanning, Aaron Hardie, Nick Hobson, Matthew Hurst, Josh Inglis, Bryce Jackson, Keaton Jennings, Matt Kelly, Mitch Marsh, Lance Morris, Jhye Richardson, Matthew Spoors, Ashton Turner, Andrew Tye

How they stack up

Perth Scorchers', the BBL's powerhouse, bid for a hat-trick of titles last season ended with a whimper after they were thrashed by Adelaide Strikers in a home knockout final. But as they eye a record-extending sixth title, Scorchers have backed their blueprint of continuity and sticking with a local core. There have been minimal changes, but they did recruit explosive New Zealand batter Finn Allen and he should address their issues at the top of the order which plagued them last season. Due to a salary cap squeeze, Scorchers were unable to retain Laurie Evans, who starred last season in the middle-order, but they got creative in trademark style and filled positions for need by drafting young English wicketkeeper-batter Matty Hurst and top-order batter Keaton Jennings. Scorchers are set to have some injury season injury issues, especially in the spin department with Cooper Connolly and Ashton Agar currently on the sidelines and so too skipper Ashton Turner, who bowls handy offspin. Quick Bryce Jackson, who has played three List A matches for WA, has been signed as a local replacement player

Player to watch

It's been a whirlwind start to the season for wicketkeeper-batter Josh Inglis, who has captained Australia's white-ball sides and been in the Test squad after being arguably the standout batter in domestic cricket. Even though he's racked up plenty of miles crisscrossing the country recently, Inglis should be fresh heading into the BBL after watching on during the Test matches. Inglis has mostly batted in recent seasons for Scorchers at No. 4 or 5, where his prowess at facing spin can be well utilised, but he's belted two T20I tons at No. 3 and is also well suited to opening. It might be tempting for Scorchers to use him as an opener after they had top-order struggles last season.

Availability issues

Significantly, overseas signings Allen, Hurst and Jennings have full availability. Test allrounder Mitchell Marsh is unlikely to figure this season, while Inglis could be in the frame for Australia's tour of Sri Lanka. In a significant blow, allrounder Aaron Hardie could be out until Boxing Day as he recovers from a quad injury and then is likely to play as a specialist batter.

Sydney Sixers

(Andrew McGlashan)
Captain Moises Henriques
Coach Greg Shipperd
Fixtures Click here

Squad Sean Abbott, Jackson Bird, Jafer Chohan, Joel Davies, Ben Dwarshuis, Jack Edwards, Moises Henriques, Akeal Hosein, Daniel Hughes, Hayden Kerr, Ben Manenti, Todd Murphy, Kurtis Patterson, Mitch Perry, Josh Philippe, Jordan Silk, Steven Smith, James Vince

How they stack up

Continuity continues to be the watch word for Sydney Sixers who put great stock behind the stability of their list. Akeal Hosein, the West Indies left-arm spinner, is a new face to them having been their pre-draft signing to fill gap left by the retired Steve O'Keefe. James Vince again returns as a consistent presence in the top order. Sixers also continued their theme of going left-field for their final overseas player by taking little-known English legspinner Jafer Chohan with their final draft pick. They will hope to get a few games out of Steven Smith between the India and Sri Lanka Test series in January while they are well served by domestic allrounders in Sean Abbott, Jack Edwards, Hayden Kerr and Ben Dwarshuis. The attack may be missing someone at the higher end of the pace bracket.

Player to watch

Todd Murphy becomes the senior domestic spinner in the side after the retirement of O'Keefe and it will be interesting to watch his T20 development after managing four wickets in nine matches last season but with a very impressive economy rate of 6.15 - the best of any bowler with more than 10 overs. He has put in some encouraging performances in the One-Day Cup this summer for Victoria. One of Murphy's challenges could be maintaining his red-ball preparation if, as expected, he is part of the squad to tour Sri Lanka in late January.

Availability issues

Smith will only have a small window between Test commitments but could get four games depending on when the squad flies to Sri Lanka. If Murphy also tours he would miss finals should Sixers qualify. Abbott may also be with the Test squad on occasions during the India series. Hosein will miss the first game then be available for the next six before leaving for the ILT20 while Vince also has a deal with that competition.

Sydney Thunder

(Andrew McGlashan)
Captain David Warner
Coach Trevor Bayliss
Fixtures Click here

Squad Wes Agar, Cameron Bancroft, Sam Billings, Ollie Davies, Lockie Ferguson, Matthew Gilkes, Chris Green, Liam Hatcher, Sam Konstas, Nic Maddinson, Nathan McAndrew, Sherfane Rutherford, William Salzmann, Daniel Sams, Jason Sangha, Tanveer Sangha, David Warner

How they stack up

It feels like Thunder, under the guidance of new general manager Trent Copeland, have had a very good off-season. They have secured Sam Billings on a multi-year deal with full availability, have the hard-hitting left-hander Sherfane Rutherford in the middle order and the express pace of Lockie Ferguson for seven games. On the domestic front, Wes Agar has bolstered the fast-bowling attack. Meanwhile, David Warner is available for a full season for the first time and has been named captain after his leadership ban was overturned. They have also recruited Nic Maddinson although a broken finger has put his season in doubt. With offspinner Chris Green and legspinner Tanveer Sangha they would appear to have a lot of bases cover.

Player to watch

Sam Konstas has been at the centre of a lot of conversations this season when he was among the contenders for a Test call-up, and since being overlooked has strung together some eye-catching innings. He has yet to make his T20 debut but the injury to Maddinson may create a vacancy at the top of the order. As ever with a young player, there will be a focus on how he transitions between formats but this generation barely breaks sweat at such challenges.

Availability issues

Rutherford and Ferguson both have ILT20 deals so will leave in time for that tournament. Warner is also bound for Dubai but will play the full BBL, including finals if Thunder qualify. On the domestic front, Thunder may escape any disruption from Australia calls unless Sangha or Konstas get an unlikely call-up for Sri Lanka.

Squads all subject to change