Marquee stars: who might be on the BBL’s hit list

With KFC BBL clubs able to field three internationals in their playing XIs this summer, the race is on to identify and lock-in talent for the season.

The Australian Cricketers' Association this week agreed to end its opposition to a third international as the BBL looks to make the most of its tenth season, and to combat the expected loss of some players to inflated Test squads.

But with the tournament set to start in the second week of December and the time required to get the necessary government approvals in place to approve their arrival into Australia, the clock is ticking and clubs must move quickly to splash the cash that CA has made available.

A fund that is extra to each club’s salary cap of $1.86m is available to secure a 19th squad member, but the player must meet CA's approval as a 'marquee' player that will add an X-factor to the league.

With that in mind, and a convoluted international schedule that's still fluid as countries wrestle with the impacts of the COVID19 pandemic, we take a country-by-country look at the options available and how their Future Tours Programme (FTP) is shaping up during the BBL window.

West Indies

There's two types of Caribbean stars under consideration here: the globe-trotting T20 gun for hire that moves from league to league, and those in the national set-up who have obligations and ambitions with the West Indies to consider.

From the first type, Andre Russell, Chris Gayle and Carlos Brathwaite have all shown their willingness to travel, and the trio are signed up to the new Lanka Premier League that wraps up by December 13 after a three-week tournament.

Russell lit up the BBL during his stint with the Sydney Thunder and the BBL has missed him since. He was close to signing on with the Melbourne Renegades last season, and the cancellation of the Bangladesh Premier League this summer leaves him with a gap in his summer schedule.

Sunil Narine, another of the travelling Caribbean T20 stars, is another option, and has appeared for the Melbourne Renegades and Sydney Sixers in the past, although Dwayne Bravo, who recently passed 500 T20 wickets to go with more than 12,600 runs, may be unavailable due to injury.

Among the more exciting young options available, 25-year-old run-machine Nicholas Pooran would have to be close to the top of the list. Pooran has shown outstanding power and acceleration, particularly in the middle overs, with Kings XI Punjab this IPL season, and does it all while generally playing textbook shots. He was set for a stint in the BBL this summer, but concern over quarantine, bubbles and time away from his family saw him pull out.

Sheldon Cottrell, famous for his flamboyant salute wicket celebration, would be another target keenly sought after the T20s in New Zealand, while hard-hitting batsmen Evin Lewis (who picked up a groin injury in the CPL) and Lendl Simmons both opted out of the New Zealand tour and have no international commitments.

West Indies limited overs skipper Kieron Pollard was a fan favourite in his BBL stints with the Adelaide Strikers and Melbourne Renegades and would be another welcome addition if he can be tempted over after the NZ tour.

How's the FTP look? Pretty good, actually. There's enough of a window, especially for the T20 specialists, to interest clubs. And then there's the Caribbean players not part of the West Indies set-up that are still prepared to travel for T20 leagues.

The West Indies have a three-match T20 series against New Zealand that wraps up by November 30. The tour then shifts to red-ball mode, with Tests starting December 3 and 11.

While there's a window there for the West Indies T20 players to come over from New Zealand, it's unclear what quarantine restrictions, if any, they would face on arrival in Australia with a trans-Tasman travel bubble now in operation.

The West Indies are also scheduled to tour Bangladesh for Tests, ODIs and T20s in late January.

South Africa

No doubt about it, AB de Villiers is the biggest name on the T20 circuit. And he's shown with some mind-boggling innings in the ongoing Indian Premier League that he's still a force in this format, even if the BBL didn't see his best last summer with the Brisbane Heat. Darren Lehmann's club was hopeful of luring de Villiers back this summer but the quarantine measures brought about by COVID19 and the impending birth of his third child make a return seemingly unlikely.

Faf du Plessis is an intriguing option. He had signalled the T20 World Cup would be his international swansong this year, but with that tournament now postponed 12 months, he seems likely to play on for the Proteas. He's currently performing well in an opening combination with Shane Watson at the Chennai Super Kings in the IPL.

Explosive wicketkeeper-batsman Quinton de Kock would be highly regarded but, as the Proteas captain, international commitments make his involvement a faint possibility. Anrich Nortje recently bowled the fastest ball in IPL history and there's a few BBL clubs that would love that firepower. David Miller has had his opportunities in the BBL before but the Hobart Hurricanes didn't see his best last summer, while Tabraiz Shamsi's wrist spin and exuberant wicket celebrations could make him a crowd favourite, and pantomime villain.

One of the greatest fast bowlers of his generation, Dale Steyn is at the back end of his career but can still be a force in T20 cricket as his time with the Melbourne Stars last summer showed. Steyn was battling for fitness during that stint but still harbours ambitions for the T20 World Cup.

How's the FTP look? South Africa have confirmed a six-match limited overs series against England that will end on December 9. That will likely impact a number of the England internationals already signed on for the BBL, but equally there are opportunities for the South Africans to join the England players' flight to Australia for a BBL stint.

While the summer is traditionally the middle of the home season for South Africa, off-field dramas for the country's administrators have left their season in limbo. They are due to host Sri Lanka for two Tests, while a planned visit from Pakistan that was due to happen in October has been postponed,. They are now expected to tour Pakistan for Tests starting in late January.

England

England's white-ball skipper Eoin Morgan is no stranger to BBL fans, and his last-ball six for the Sydney Thunder remains one of the competition's top moments. Likewise, Adil Rashid has played before, spending a season with the Adelaide Strikers. Either player would be a handy addition to any club, and there's plenty of their countrymen already signed up for the league. Jonny Bairstow, who has been heavily linked with the Melbourne Stars, would be a marquee option if not already locked in for Dave Hussey's team.

How's the FTP look? Complicated. The shutdown caused by the COVID19 pandemic affected England as much as anyone, and their players have already spent plenty of time in bubbles this year. The six-game limited overs series in South Africa, with T20s that finish on December 1 and ODIs that end on December 9, has the potential to impact all the England internationals for this summer's BBL, and may keep them out of action until Christmas. There's also talk of a three-game T20 series against Pakistan in mid-January, but there's also an acceptance from the England hierarchy that with many of their players already committed to the BBL and uncertainty about travelling to Pakistan, they may take a squad of fringe or developmental players for that series.

A planned Test squad camp, and a rescheduled Test series against Sri Lanka this summer, effectively rules out the likes of Jofra Archer, Ben Stokes and Jos Buttler, who would otherwise all be near the top of any 'marquee' player list.

India

Any BBL club would love to boast the likes of MS Dhoni, Suresh Raina or Yuvraj Singh in their line-up, even at their veteran status. The Board of Control for Cricket in India has long held the belief that it will not release any player to compete in any foreign domestic T20 competition, a stance that Raina expressed his frustration at earlier this year.

How's the FTP look? As mentioned, it's not the FTP that is the roadblock, particularly with India already heading to Australia for an international summer. With the white-ball matches to front-end the international summer, India's T20 specialists not involved in the Border-Gavaskar Test Series would, theoretically, be free to play from the tournament's opening game. India's next engagement after the Australia tour wraps up around January 19 is a series against England in February-March.

Pakistan

Babar Azam is a bona fide batting star and, so far, has done some of his best work in T20 cricket. But Pakistan have a reasonably busy looking summer schedule, so opportunities for him to feature may not line up. But there is a window to tempt him over for a short stint after Pakistan's engagements across the Tasman in New Zealand are complete in early January. Like the West Indies, the prospect of avoiding quarantine in Australia via the trans-Tasman travel bubble would make that sell a lot easier. Imad Wasim is yet to break into Pakistan's Test line-up and could potentially be released after the T20 component of the tour. Mohammad Amir was dropped for Pakistan's upcoming T20 series against New Zealand and will have a point to prove if he were to be approved as a 'marquee' player, while Shadab Khan, who impressed in a brief BBL stint, has continued to beguile with his leg-spin.

How's the FTP look? Not great for the BBL. Pakistan play three T20 internationals in New Zealand on December 18, 20 and 22 after which their T20 players could be available, if released. However, a Pakistan A side will play six T20s against provincial sides from December 23 to January 5. Pakistan also have two Tests against the Black Caps on Boxing Day and January 3. They will immediately return to Pakistan with plans for a three-match T20 series against England in the works, and hopes of South Africa visiting with a Test series starting in late January.

Bangladesh

Shakib Al Hasan remains one of the game's preeminent allrounders, and will this month have a 12-month ban (for failing to report bookmaker approaches) expire. He could return to international cricket immediately if Bangladesh and Sri Lanka can arrange their series, but he will no doubt be looking for opportunities to again play.

How's the FTP look? The Bangladesh Premier League has been cancelled for this summer as the country grapples with the COVID19 pandemic, and an acceptance that international players would not come to the country. They have a postponed series with Sri Lanka to slot in somewhere, and are still hoping to host the West Indies from January for a tour that includes all formats.

New Zealand

How's the FTP look? New Zealand's own domestic T20 competition, the Super Smash, starts on Christmas Eve and wraps up later than the BBL, in mid-February, while their domestic one-day competition also runs throughout the BBL window. Additionally, they have international visits from the West Indies and Pakistan this summer, making it highly unlikely any of New Zealand's marquee players would be available for the BBL.

Sri Lanka

Thisara Perera showed his big-hitting potential when he smashed 13 sixes in a 74-ball knock of 140 in an ODI against New Zealand last year, while hard-hitting allrounder Dasun Shanaka is another option worth considering.

How's the FTP look? The inaugural Lanka Premier League will be a three-week tournament wrapping up by December 13, and a quarantine period on arrival in Australia after it means no Sri Lankan talent in the BBL until late December, at the earliest. They have a postponed tour of Bangladesh to slot in somewhere, and are yet to have plans confirmed for an expected South Africa tour this summer.