SuperCoach BBL 2022: Expert teams, Isa Guha reveals her squad

But I know I have my work cut out for me trying to compete with Mr SuperCoach.

I have tended to overthink things in previous seasons – like looking at which grounds each team is playing at and other factors before making my trade calls.

Starting strong has never been an issue, though, and I have loaded up on options playing twice in the opening round to give me the best chance of success.

Here is how my starting side is shaping up for the KFC SuperCoach BBL season.

WICKETKEEPERS

Josh Philippe (Sixers) WKP-BAT $166,300

Josh Inglis (Scorchers) WKP-BAT $87,000

Two of the most destructive players in the BBL in recent times make up my keeping ranks. Philippe is very consistent and he generally starts BBL seasons strongly, while Inglis has just spent a lot of the time on the bench at the T20 World Cup – and he will start on the bench in my side with the Scorchers’ round 1 bye. After all that time on the sidelines I expect him to be raring to go for the BBL.

BATTERS

Daniel Sams (Thunder) $179,300 BAT-BWL

Alex Hales (Thunder) $130,300 BAT

Rilee Russouw (Thunder) $105,000 BAT

Jake Weatherald (Strikers) $87,100 BAT

Marcus Stoinis (Stars) $83,400 BAT-BWL

Harry Nielson (Strikers) $62,500 BAT-WKP

Josh Brown (Heat) $42,000 BAT

All of my on-field batters play twice in the opening round. Hales is self-explanatory after scoring more runs than any player in the past three BBL seasons, along with his triumphant return for England at the T20 World Cup. Russouw is coming off a big World Cup hundred and is very cheap, while Sams is a reliable all-rounder who scores points with both bat and ball.

Meanwhile, Weatherald is my first-round punt. He didn’t have the best return in his last BBL campaign but he is a cheap option who can come off – and he has just 5 per cent ownership in KFC SuperCoach BBL. Stoinis picks himself at that price.

BOWLERS

Matt Short (Strikers) $197,500 BWL-BAT

Rashid Khan (Strikers) $193,600 BWL (C)

Trent Boult (Stars) $180,000 BWL

Andre Russell (Renegades) $145,000 BWL-BAT

Adam Zampa (Stars) $103,600 BWL

Will Sutherland (Renegades) $62,000 BWL-BAT

Lance Morris (Scorchers) $62,500 BWL

The toughest call in my starting side is Andre Russell vs Shadab Khan. The Pakistan all-rounder had a brilliant World Cup, but Russell has plenty of potential with his batting strike rate and wicket-taking. I am not sure where the Renegades will bat Russell, but I think I will start him and then switch to Shadab later in the season.

Short opens the batting and was getting through four overs with the ball last season – a role that screams KFC SuperCoach BBL points. His teammate Rashid Khan will be my round 1 captain. The Afghan tweaker is high quality: he takes wickets, keeps things tight and can go at an amazing strike rate with the blade.

Boult can take wickets at the start of the innings and is very good at the death, which is key for any successful bowler in KFC SuperCoach BBL. One of the best T20 leg spinners in world cricket rounds out my team in Adam Zampa, who is coming off strong World Cup and one-day form.

FIVE NEW INTERNATIONALS TO WATCH

All Big Bash fans and KFC SuperCoach players know Rashid Khan, Andre Russell, Alex Hales, James Vince and Colin Munro.

But what about the international imports playing in their first BBL tournament?

Isa Guha outlines five new faces to watch and what they can offer in KFC SuperCoach BBL.

Faf Du Plessis (Scorchers) $180,000 BAT

I’ve watched a lot of Du Plessis in the T20 format and he is superb against both pace and spin. The South African superstar brings a wealth of experience to the Scorchers and can get their batting innings off to a good start – and that means big points in KFC SuperCoach. Du Plessis has a bye first up, but will be the No.1 trade target ahead of the Scorchers’ round 2 double.

Shadab Khan (Hurricanes) $125,000 BAT-BWL

Khan is one of Pakistan’s best limited-overs players. He offers so much with the ball with his leg spin and bowled some key overs in the T20 World Cup, where he took 11 wickets. Outside of the powerplay he can keep things tight and pick up wickets and he is more traditional as a leg-spinner than his namesake, Rashid Khan. With the bat he has been used as high as No.3 in the Pakistan Super League and he has been shuffled up the order as a pinch-hitter for his country as well.

Zak Crawley (Hurricanes) $125,000 BAT

Despite a run-a-ball ton in the first Test in Pakistan, Crawley is still finding his way in Test cricket. But he has been outstanding domestically in the short format where he knows his game pretty well. Crawley is very good player of the short ball. He won’t be available until at least round 4-5 but watch out for him once he joins the Hurricanes camp.

Luke Wood (Stars) $105,000 BAT-BWL

I have watched him a lot domestically and for England as well. The opening bowler is a good left-arm option for the Stars with his aggression, skiddy bounce and array of slower balls.

Fazalhaq Farooqi (Thunder) $105,000 BWL

Watch out for Fazalhaq Farooqi from Afghanistan, an overseas replacement player for Englishman David Willey. A skiddy bowler, Farooqi has good pace and can bowl well at the death.

Originally published as KFC SuperCoach BBL: Isa Guha reveals her team for BBL12