2016-17 Big Bash League - brief review
Last season's BBL saw a gap of just four points between top and bottom, with the top three all tied on ten points. Perth Scorchers once again ran out as eventual winners after topping the league stage, comfortably seeing off Sydney Sixers in the Final.
Brisbane Heat sandwiched themselves between the Scorchers and the Sixers in the standings, thanks largely to the heavy hitting of Chris Lynn and Brendon McCullum at the top of the order.
Melbourne Stars, meanwhile, edged out their city rivals Melbourne Renegades to clinch the final semi final spot.
Team-by-team preview
Adelaide Strikers
The Strikers will be without last season's top scorer Ben Dunk, who has moved on to Melbourne Stars. They have, however, added Jonathan Wells from Hobart Hurricanes alongside new overseas recruits Colin Ingram and Rashid Khan.
Ingram had a stellar t20 Blast campaign with Glamorgan over the English summer, while 19-year-old Khan has had significant success both internationally with Afghanistan and on the t20 circuit, playing in tournaments such as the IPL.
Captain Travis Head had a disappointing BBL last time out, but he is one of the most talented batsmen in the country and he will be looking to have an impact both with bat and ball, as well as with the captaincy.
Possible starting XI: Weatherald, Ingram, Head, Wells, Dean, Lehmann, Carey, Khan, Laughlin, Siddle, Stanlake
League prediction: 6th
Brisbane Heat
The Heat had a strong league campaign last year, before falling short in the knockout stages. There are fears about Chris Lynn's shoulder and whether he will be fit enough to start the tournament, but McCullum has signed on again to give a boost to the top order.
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Ben Cutting has impressed in the IPL in recent seasons and the all-rounder will be one of the key players for the Heat once more, alongside exciting Pakistan international and BBL newcomer, Shadab Khan.
Mitchell Swepson and Mark Steketee impressed last year in what was an initially weak-looking bowling lineup, while Test batsman Matt Renshaw is also in the squad.
Possible starting XI: Peirson, McCullum, Lynn, Burns, Ross, Cutting, Floros, Shadab, Lalor, Swepson, Steketee
League prediction: 5th
Hobart Hurricanes
The Tasmanian-based outfit were able to call upon the significant experience of the likes of Kumar Sangakkara, Stuart Broad and Shaun Tait in 2016-17, but all three have since departed. South African coach Gary Kirsten will now lead the side alongside skipper George Bailey.
England t20 international Tymal Mills has made the switch from the Strikers to replace his compatriot Broad, while Sussex youngster Jofra Archer could be somewhat of a wildcard after impressing in the Bangladesh Premier League recently.
The experience of Bailey, Dan Christian and new signing Matthew Wade will look to dovetail with the revelations of last season, such as the impressive Ben McDermott, D'Arcy Short and Clive Rose.
Possible starting XI: Short, Wade, Bailey, McDermott, Christian, Kingston, Milenko, Archer, Rose, Boyce, Mills
League prediction: 8th
Melbourne Renegades
The Renegades have typically struggled in the tournament over recent years and narrowly missed out on progression last season. They have added a number of new names to their squad for the upcoming season, including Brad Hodge, Tim Ludeman, Joe Mennie, Kane Richardson and Jon Holland.
Afghanistan international Mohammad Nabi joins fellow all-rounder Dwayne Bravo in the overseas category along with Kieron Pollard. Sunil Narine will not be returning after last season's successful showing due to personal reasons.
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The star-studded Renegades will likely make a bigger noise this year than in previous campaigns, with the likes of captain Aaron Finch, Cameron White and Brad Hogg joining the aforementioned raft of new signings.
Possible starting XI: Finch, Ludeman, White, Cooper, Hodge, Bravo, Nabi, Webster, Richardson, Mennie, Hogg
League prediction: 1st
Melbourne Stars
One of the more successful BBL sides in terms of progression, the Stars will be looking to lift their first title in 2018.
With a host of strong Australian players alongside English t20 veterans in Kevin Pietersen and Luke Wright, the Stars have made few changes to their squad for the upcoming season.
The aforementioned signing of last year's top scorer Ben Dunk will give them even more firepower, although they could be hampered by the potential Ashes involvement of Glenn Maxwell and Peter Handscomb.
Possible starting XI: Dunk, Wright, Maxwell, Pietersen, Stoinis, Faulkner, Gulbis, Hastings, Zampa, Boland, Hilfenhaus
League prediction: 4th
Perth Scorchers
The undisputed kings of the BBL, the three-time winners have qualified every year and failed to make the Final just once. in 2015-16.
The reigning champions have made just one overseas signing, bringing back England international David Willey to Perth after Ian Bell and Tim Bresnan had enjoyed fruitful campaigns last time out.
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| Perth Scorchers are defending BBL champions, once again [CREDIT - Paul Kane/Getty Images] |
The squad is, however, filled with quality. Shaun Marsh, Cameron Bancroft and Mitch Marsh are all in Ashes action, but the sheer depth of the squad, even with the seeming lack of overseas players, is one reason why they have been so successful over the years.
Possible starting XI: Klinger, Whiteman, Voges, Turner, Cartwright, Agar, Willey, Coulter-Nile, Johnson, Tye, Behrendorff
League prediction: 2nd
Sydney Sixers
The Sixers ultimately missed out last year, finishing runners-up, but they will be looking to build on their impressive showing in 2016-17.
English duo Sam Billings and Jason Roy are back and will give a strong helping hand to the top order, already featuring the likes of Nic Maddinson and Moises Henriques.
Despite Mitchell Starc and Nathan Lyon being on Ashes duty, the Sixers will have last season's leading wicket-taker Sean Abbott back in their ranks, along with Jackson Bird and Johan Botha.
Possible starting XI: Roy, Hughes, Maddinson, Henriques, Billings, Silk, Nevill, Botha, Abbott, O'Keefe, Bird
League prediction: 3rd
Sydney Thunder
Despite winning the tournament in 2015-16, the Thunder collected their fourth wooden spoon last season in just the seventh edition of the BBL.
To make matters worse, they will most likely be without Ashes duo Pat Cummins and Usman Khawaja, along with star all-rounder and West Indies international Andre Russell.
They have managed to bring in dangerous England 'keeper-batsman Jos Buttler and fiery New Zealand left-armer Mitchell McClenaghan as their overseas players, as well as batsman Callum Ferguson.
Possible starting XI: Blizzard, Watson, Ferguson, Buttler, Patterson, Rohrer, Nair, Green, McClenaghan, McKay, Sandhu
League prediction: 7th
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