The 2023-2024 Big Bash League, the 13th iteration of Australia’s premier t20 tournament, is set to kick off on 7th December with Brisbane Heat playing host to the Melbourne Stars.
Last season was once again won by Perth Scorchers, who sealed a record fifth title with a five-wicket win over the Heat at their Optus Stadium.
The 2023/24 season will see a revision in the amount of matches played, with each team playing ten matches in the league stage instead of 14, with a total of 44 including the playoffs and Final.
Fifth place will also not represent a qualifying berth this season, with only the top four advancing.
Scorchers look good for a solid shot at creating a historic title run, while the Melbourne Renegades have added even more experience into their already veteran-filled squad.
As is often the case in the BBL, availability issues loom large, both with Australian Test players and overseas players either playing for their country or jetting off to other leagues.
Big Bash League 2023/2024 team-by-team previews
Perth Scorchers BBL 2023/24 preview
The defending champions and most successful BBL franchise of all time head into the latest edition of the Big Bash League looking to win a third consecutive title and a historic hat-trick.
There were a number of high performers in last season's title-winning side, with no fewer than four batters making four half-centuries apiece.
Cameron Bancroft, Aaron Hardie, Ashton Turner and Josh Inglis all scored over 350 runs at strike rates exceeding 140.
Hardie was top-scorer with 460, closely followed by Australia international Inglis with 431. Overseas duo Stevie Eskinazi and Faf du Plessis chipped in with just shy of 400 runs between them, though the latter was perhaps a little disappointing in terms of his returns.
In terms of the bowling, wickets were shared round regularly as Scorchers showed their uncanny ability to bowl out opposition lineups.
Scorchers stalwarts Andrew Tye and Jason Behrendorff were the standouts, taking 26 and 21 wickets respectively.
Fellow standout Aussie pacer Jhye Richardson stormed to 15 wickets in just seven matches at an economy of 6.75 before being ruled out.
Matthew Kelly and David Payne joined the pace brigade with their wickets in double figures. Exciting quick Lance Morris claimed nine in five games, while wrist spinner Peter Hatzoglou chipped in with eight.
Bancroft and Hatzoglou have since departed, to Sydney Thunder and Hobart Hurricanes respectively, while the Scorchers have packed their overseas contingent with English batters.
Eskinazi returns to Western Australia, as does Laurie Evans who was the player of the match for the Scorchers in the BBL 11 Final. Test opener Zak Crawley also joins, though he will not be available for the whole tournament.
Ashton Agar and Kelly are initial injury doubts, while Mitch Marsh and Morris are likely to be involved with the Australian side at points during the competition and Evans is due for a stint in the ILT20 at the business end of the tournament.
Potential starting XI: Zak Crawley, Josh Inglis, Mitchell Marsh, Stevie Eskinazi, Laurie Evans, Ashton Turner, Aaron Hardie, Ashton Agar, Jhye Richardson, Andrew Tye, Jason Behrendorff
Brisbane Heat BBL 2023/24 preview
Heat started slowly in 2022, losing four of their first five matches, before reversing their fortunes with a run of four wins in five to clinch fifth place in the league stage to advance to the playoffs.
They then stunningly won all three playoff games before succumbing to the Scorchers in the Final. There were a number of solid contributors within the Heat squad with both bat and ball.
Veteran Jimmy Peirson played in all 18 matches and scored 334 runs in 17 innings, with Test opener Usman Khawaja and New Zealander Colin Munro scoring 249 and 278 in eight innings apiece.
Nathan McSweeney impressed, scoring 164 in five innings, while bruising opener Josh Brown was a top find for the Heat at the top of the order.
Michael Neser, who also chipped in with the bat, took 26 wickets, ably supported by James Bazley and Matthew Kuhnemann who took 16 each. Mark Steketee joined them in double figures, while another superb find in pacer Spencer Johnson picked up nine.
McSweeney and Johnson will certainly be two players to keep a strong eye on this season, while it will be interesting to see how Brown fares in his second BBL season.
Munro and Sam Billings will turn out for the Heat once again as overseas players, joined by the lanky English all-rounder Paul Walter.
Potential starting XI: Usman Khawaja, Josh Brown, Colin Munro, Matthew Renshaw, Marnus Labuschagne, Sam Billings, Paul Walter, Michael Neser, Matthew Kuhnemann, Spencer Johnson, Mitchell Swepson
Sydney Sixers BBL 2023/24 preview
The second-most successful franchise in the BBL, the Sixers had yet another productive tournament in 22/23, finishing just a point behind eventual winners Scorchers and a whole seven points ahead of Renegades in third.
However, despite finishing second in the league stage, the Sixers lost the Qualifier to Scorchers and then were defeated by the Heat in the Challenger.
The results were perhaps more surprising given the form that they entered the playoffs in, having won their last six matches in the league.
Steve Smith was in astonishing form, racking up a mammoth 346 runs in just five innings, including two stunning centuries, all while striking at 174.7.
Jordan Silk and Moises Henriques joined him in scoring over 300 runs during the competition, while James Vince was in usual good form in scoring 263 in nine innings.
It was perhaps a disappointing return for the talented Josh Phillippe, who managed 266 runs in 15 innings at a lowly strike rate of 117.7.
With the ball, Sean Abbott was the main man for the Sixers as he claimed a huge 29 scalps. Left-arm quicks Ben Dwarshuis and Hayden Kerr supported well, taking 15 and 16 wickets respectively.
Veteran offspinner Steve O’Keefe chipped in with 13 wickets in his nine appearances, while Australians Todd Murphy and Jackson Bird took eight apiece and young Afghan Izharulhaq Naveed taking nine in as many matches.
This time around, Vince and Tom Curran were once again brought back to represent the magenta of the Sixers, though Chris Jordan was unable to be retained after he was plucked by Hobart.
England’s teenage sensation Rehan Ahmed was also selected but his international commitments put paid to any chance of making his tournament debut.
Smith is unlikely to play a huge part in the tournament given his stringent international commitments, which will be a shame given his stellar 22/23 form in the competition.
Potential starting XI: James Vince, Josh Phillippe, Steve Smith, Jordan Silk, Moises Henriques, Tom Curran, Sean Abbott, Hayden Kerr, Ben Dwarshuis, Izharulhaq Naveed, Jackson Bird
Melbourne Renegades BBL 2023/24 preview
It was a mixed bag for the Gades in 2022/23, despite finishing third in the league standings. They won their opening three games, before then losing the following four.
Four wins out of their final seven games was enough to sneak into third place and a spot in the playoffs. They met the in-form Heat, though, and crashed out by seven wickets.
Aaron Finch had a productive season, something that has often alluded him in recent years, scoring 428 in 15 innings. Shaun Marsh showed his class but only turned out six times, scoring 231 in the process.
Sam Harper, Jonathan Wells and Will Sutherland were the other players to notch over 200 runs, with the latter scoring his at a strike rate of 150.
New Zealander Martin Guptill was disappointing in his returns, scoring just 165 runs in 11 innings, while 87 of Nic Maddinson’s 129 runs came in one of his seven visits to the crease.
Tom Rogers was superb up front with the ball, taking 23 wickets in 15 matches. Aussie pacer Kane Richardson and West Indies all-rounder Akeal Hosein were the only other bowlers to reach double figures in the wickets column.
This season, though, looks to be shaping up nicely for the 21018/19 champions. They picked up the South African titan Quinton de Kock in the draft and also picked up Australia international Adam Zampa during the off-season.
Those two top performers will be joined by two stellar overseas players. Joe Clarke, who at this point is a BBL stalwart, will likely open up with de Kock while Afghanistan’s Mujeeb Ur-Rahman will form a tasty-looking partnership with fellow spinner Zampa.
The experience and quality of Finch and Marsh has been added to in the bowling department, with experienced Australian international duo Peter Siddle and Nathan Lyon joining the squad.
Indeed, at least one of those two may even struggle to make their way into a full-strength XI, especially given Rogers’ brilliant 22/23 season.
Jake Fraser-McGurk, who rose to prominence in October after breaking AB de Villiers’ record for fastest List A hundred by smoking an astonishing 29-ball century for South Australia, will certainly be one to watch.
Potential starting XI: Quinton de Kock, Aaron Finch, Joe Clarke, Shaun Marsh, Jake Fraser-McGurk, Nic Maddinson, Jon Wells, Mujeeb Ur-Rahman, Adam Zampa, Kane Richardson, Peter Siddle
Sydney Thunder BBL 2023/24 preview
2022/23 saw another fairly middling season for the Thunder, despite them finishing fourth and qualifying for the playoffs.
The Sydney side, who failed to qualify for the playoffs in seven of the first editions of the BBL, with the exception being their lone triumph in 2015/16, picked up as many wins as losses in their 14 outings to qualify for the fourth consecutive season.
They ultimately went out at the first hurdle, losing to the Heat by eight runs. Standout performers were in relatively short supply, though it was a breakout season for young Australian batter Ollie Davies.
The 23-year-old topped the Thunder scoring charts with 333 runs in 13 innings, passing 50 on three occasions. Alex Hales, fresh off England’s triumphant World t20 campaign, also struck three half-centuries on his way to 245 runs in nine innings.
Alex Ross and Matthew Gilkes were the other two players to pass 200 runs for the season, scoring 256 and 282 respectively.
Hales’ fellow overseas batter Rilee Rossouw could not get going in his seven innings, scoring just 127 at a strike rate of 118.7, struggles that continued on into the SA20 the following month.
David Warner couldn’t even get to 100 runs in his six outings, with his 99 runs coming alongside a strike rate of 108.8.
While not strictly batters, all-rounders Ben Cutting, Daniel Sams, Chris Green and Nathan McAndrew were unable to produce the goods despite decent opportunity.
This time around, they will once again have the services of Hales, along with those of young Pakistan quick Zaman Khan and Australian Test opener Cameron Bancroft.
Warner looks set to be available for the latter part of the competition following the conclusion of the Pakistan Test series.
That could mean a tasty opening partnership with Hales, while the talented young Tanveer Sangha will be back into the fray following an injury that kept him out of BBL 12.
Potential starting XI: David Warner, Alex Hales, Cameron Bancroft, Jason Sangha, Ollie Davies, Alex Ross, Matt Gilkes, Daniel Sams, Chris Green, Tanveer Sangha, Zaman Khan
Hobart Hurricanes BBL 2023/24 preview
It was a tournament of inconsistency for the Hurricanes in 22/23, having alternated losses with wins for the first half of the season. They maintained the same 3-4 record in the second half of the league stage and ultimately missed out on playoff qualification by a point.
The big-hitting Tim David led the way in runs scored for Hobart, displaying brilliant consistency for a player who is often largely seen as a finisher; he plundered 354 runs in 14 innings at a strike rate of 160.9.
However, as brilliant as David was, the fact that he was allowed to be was perhaps part of the reason for the Hurricanes’ failure to qualify.
Caleb Jewell and Matthew Wade were solid supporting acts, scoring 289 and 307 respectively. But it was the lack of form from BBL run machines Ben McDermott and D’Arcy Short that hurt Hobart.
The two failed to pass 200 runs despite each reaching double figures in terms of innings. England international Zak Crawley showed flashes, but ultimately his 185 runs in eight innings at a strike rate of 117.8 was not enough.
Aussie pacers Riley Meredith and Nathan Ellis picked up wickets regularly, taking 21 and 18 respectively, while the emergence of spinner Paddy Dooley was certainly a highlight for the Hurricanes.
The left-arm wrist spinner racked up 19 victims along with an economy rate of just 6.56. It was a good job too, as Pakistan’s star all-rounder Shadab Khan was only able to play five times.
No other Hurricanes bowler reached double figures in the wickets column, including Shadab’s international teammate Faheem Ashraf, who only struck seven times in nine games.
Hobart had an interesting draft, picking up experienced Jordan after Sixers opted to retain Tom Curran instead. Sam Hain, who has been in exceptional domestic form in England over the past few years, was also selected.
A rather left-field pick was then confirmed, with former New Zealand international Corey Anderson being selected following some eye-catching performances in America’s recent inaugural Major League Cricket season.
A boost for the Hurricanes will be the likely strong availability of their squad, with no Australian Test players in the squad. The three overseas players will also be available throughout, though they will miss the playoffs should Hobart qualify.
Potential starting XI: Ben McDermott, Caleb Jewell, Matthew Wade, Sam Hain, Tim David, Corey Anderson, Chris Jordan, Nathan Ellis, Riley Meredith, Peter Hatzoglou, Paddy Dooley
Adelaide Strikers BBL 2023/24 preview
The Strikers started the 2022/23 campaign in superb fashion, winning their first three games. However, they went on to lose nine of the remaining 11 fixtures to finish seventh.
Openers Chris Lynn and Matthew Short both had superb seasons, scoring over 400 runs each. The latter was named tournament MVP and earned an international call-up and IPL deal as a result.
They were joined by Englishman Adam Hose, who scored 312 in 14 innings. That was about it for support, though, as the rest of the Strikers batters were largely unable to pull any trees.
Test ‘keeper Alex Carey performed well but he was only available for four matches, while New Zealander Colin de Grandhomme produced 232 runs at a strike rate of 140.6.
Henry Thornton looked to have been a solid find, taking 16 wickets in nine games including 5-3 against the Sydney Thunder. Fellow domestic pacer Wes Agar took 18 in 13, while Short’s superb season was punctuated with 11 wickets at an economy of just 7.13.
It was largely an unsettled attack, though, and was made more difficult by the fact that mercurial Afghan spinner Rashid Khan could only play in eight matches.
Indeed, ahead of the 23/24 season, the Strikers have been dealt a heavy body blow with the news of Rashid’s withdrawal from the competition.
He has been replaced by English left-armer, who will join his compatriots Hose and Jamie Overton in Queensland, with all three expected to be available for the entirety of the tournament.
The same cannot be said, though, for Carey and World Cup star Travis Head, both of whom are likely to be involved in Australia’s Test series throughout the summer period.
The addition of D’Arcy Short should help alleviate some pressure on the openers, though the loss of Rashid and limited availability of Head and Carey will likely loom large.
Potential starting XI: Chris Lynn, Matthew Short, Travis Head, Alex Carey, D’Arcy Short, Adam Hose, Jamie Overton, Wes Agar, Brendan Doggett, Henry Thornton, David Payne
Melbourne Stars BBL 2023/24 preview
It was a third straight BBL season without playoff qualification for the Stars, with the Melbourne side finishing rock bottom of the league with just three wins from 14.
The runs did generally flow, with three batters scoring over 300 runs in Tom Rogers, Hilton Cartwright and Joe Clarke.
The latter again impressed, scoring 381 runs in his 14 visits to the crease. The strike rates, however, were down with all of the five batters to pass 200 runs striking at under 125.
They were naturally hampered by the absence of the injured Glenn Maxwell, with Marcus Stoinis doing his best to produce attacking intent as he struck 190 runs in nine innings at a strike rate of 154.5.
The bowling was also generally productive, with Englishman Luke Wood leading the way with 20 wickets courtesy of his left-arm pace.
Nathan Coulter-Nile and Zampa were superb with the ball, taking 16 wickets apiece at economy rates of 6.54 and 7.14 respectively. Liam Hatcher was the other Stars bowler to reach double figures for wickets taken.
New Zealand star Trent Boult could not replicate such output, though, as he took just eight wickets in as many matches.
For 2023/24, the Stars looked to bounce back through the draft, firstly through a failed selection of Rashid who was retained by the Strikers, and then England star Harry Brook.
That has since fallen through as Brook has pulled out due to England commitments. Pakistan fast bowler Haris Rauf, who helped build his name through his first stint with the Stars, is back in Melbourne.
He is joined by his compatriot Imad Wasim and Liam Dawson, two players who are very similar in terms of overall profiles.
The Stars also have Pakistan legspinner and England quick Olly Stone on standby as a result of availability issues.
Glenn Maxwell will lead the side and his presence alone may well be enough for the Stars to lift themselves off the bottom, especially given Maxwell’s incredible recent form.
Potential starting XI: Tom Rogers, Marcus Stoinis, Joe Burns, Glenn Maxwell, Sam Harper, Imad Wasim, Hilton Cartwright, Liam Dawson, Nathan Coulter-Nile, Scott Boland, Haris Rauf
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