Big Bash cult hero in line to make state debut

Big Bash cult hero Peter Hatzoglou is in line to make his state cricket debut, but South Australia have dropped fellow leg-spinner Lloyd Pope from both their Marsh Sheffield Shield and Marsh One-Day Cup squads to face Western Australia this week.

Jake Weatherald’s absence from the Redbacks’ Shield team will also continue, after he missed their last two games earlier in the season for mental health reasons, with the opener instead captaining a second XI team that begun a four-day game against ACT-NSW Country today in Adelaide.

But Weatherald has been picked in SA’s Marsh One-Day Cup squad that will play WA on March 2 following the Shield match beginning Thursday, with Hatzoglou also winning inclusion for the 50-over clash at the WACA Ground ahead of Pope.

"Selectors felt that coming back into four-day mode it would be a great opportunity for him to get some cricket in the second XI game that started today and to lead that side," SA coach Jason Gillespie said of Weatherald.

"To have some leadership opportunities there and get some four-day cricket in, we're excited about that and hopefully re-integrate him back into four-day cricket at some point during the season."

Pope took five wickets on the opening day of the Shield season but struggled from that point onwards and finished with eight wickets at 86.25 (with an economy rate above five) from the Redbacks' four games during the Adelaide bubble.

"Obviously he didn't quite perform as he would have liked or we would have liked leading into Big Bash in the four-day team," said Gillespie. "We just think this is a really good opportunity for him to play and get plenty of overs for the second team, plenty of overs for (Premier Club) Kensington and put his name back in front of the selectors."

Australia Under-19 World Cup representative Corey Kelly, who along with his twin brother Thomas won a maiden rookie deal with SA last year, could make his senior debut after winning selection in both squads.

Kelly took 3-47 and added scores 53 and 81no in a state second XI game against Tasmania last month. 

The cancellation of the South Africa Test tour means captain Travis Head and keeper Alex Carey will be back in SA colours, with Carey to play his first games for the Redbacks this season having missed the opening stage of the Shield season due to Indian Premier League duties.

Fast bowler David Grant is set to play his first games for SA in either format in over three years having been named in both squads.

In the other Sheffield Shield game beginning Thursday at Bankstown Oval, Pat Cummins play his first red-ball game for NSW this season as he comes into the squad to face Victoria for fellow Test star Josh Hazlewood.

"We mapped out a plan for Josh and with quick games back to back we have given him this game off but he will play our third game in this stretch of matches," Blues coach Phil Jacques said.

"It’s a busy season and we have to manage all of our players, especially the quick bowlers so we have them all firing towards the back end of the season.”

Melbourne-born Hatzoglou, who moved to Adelaide last year in pursuit of an opportunity at domestic level, surged from club cricket obscurity to becoming the breakout star of the recent KFC BBL season for the Melbourne Renegades.

The 22-year-old data analyst from Sunshine Heights Cricket Club finished as the Renegades’ leading wicket taker for the tournament with 17 victims at 22.88, and an impressive economy rate of 8.27 given he often bowled in the Powerplays and Power Surges.

That was despite being drafted into the Gades’ squad only days before the start of BBL|10 as a local replacement player.

"I think the first thing I said when I met (Renegades captain Aaron Finch) was, 'I bowl Powerplay overs so I'm happy to bowl in the Surge'," Hatzoglou told cricket.com.au last month.

"He was probably like, 'Who's this bloody replacement player telling me when he wants to bowl?'.

"(His success) is pretty amazing, I'm overwhelmed by it all. Considering where I've come from, I'm just happy to be amongst it.”

Callum Ferguson has been named in only the Redbacks' Marsh Cup squad having retired from first-class cricket last year. Fellow veteran Tom Cooper is also only in the one-day squad with keeper Harry Nielsen in line to play as a specialist batter.

SA squad for Sheffield Shield v WA, Feb 25: Travis Head (c), Alex Carey (wk), Wes Agar, Will Bosisto, David Grant, Henry Hunt, Corey Kelly, Jake Lehmann, Harry Nielsen, Chadd Sayers, Liam Scott, Daniel Worrall

SA squad for Marsh Cup v WA, March 2: Head (c), Alex Carey (wk), Wes Agar, Tom Cooper, Callum Ferguson, David Grant, Peter Hatzoglou, Corey Kelly, Harry Nielsen, Cameron Valente, Jake Weatherald, Daniel Worrall

NSW squad for Sheffield Shield v Victoria, Feb 25: Peter Nevill (c), Sean Abbott, Harry Conway, Trent Copeland, Pat Cummins, Moises Henriques, Daniel Hughes, Nick Larkin, Nathan Lyon, Kurtis Patterson, Steve Smith, Daniel Solway, Mitchell Starc

Victoria, WA squads: TBC