Western front: Perth's history of BBL imports

Another Big Bash Draft is almost upon us as the league's eight clubs ramp up their preparations for KFC BBL|14 by adding at least two overseas players to their list for the coming season.

From BBL|14 onwards, clubs have also been able to sign an overseas player pre-draft to a multi-year contract, with Perth Scorchers luring powerful New Zealand opener Finn Allen for two seasons to help fill a gap at the top of their batting line-up.

After 13 seasons of BBL, we're looking back, club-by-club, at every import that has turned out in the Big Bash, memorable or otherwise.

Adelaide Strikers | Brisbane Heat | Hobart Hurricanes | Melbourne Renegades | Melbourne Stars | Perth Scorchers | Sydney Sixers | Sydney Thunder

History of overseas signings

BBL|01: Paul Collingwood, Herschelle Gibbs

 

BBL|02: Herschelle Gibbs, Alfonso Thomas

 

BBL|03: Yasir Arafat, Alfonso Thomas

 

BBL|04: Yasir Arafat, Michael Carberry

 

BBL|05: Michael Carberry, David Willey

 

BBL|06: Ian Bell, David Willey, Tim Bresnan

 

BBL|07: Tim Bresnan, David Willey

 

BBL|08: Usman Qadir, David Willey

 

BBL|09: Chris Jordan, Liam Livingstone, Morne Morkel

 

BBL|10: Joe Clarke, Liam Livingstone, Colin Munro, Jason Roy

 

BBL|11: Laurie Evans, Tymal Mills, Colin Munro

 

BBL|12: Faf du Plessis, Stephen Eskinazi, Adam Lyth, David Payne

 

BBL|13: Zak Crawley, Stephen Eskinazi, Laurie Evans

 

BBL|14: Finn Allen

The players (sorted by matches played)

Colin Munro (New Zealand)

Seasons: BBL|10 – BBL|11

 

M: 29 | Runs: 833 | HS: 114no | SR: 127.76 | Ave: 36.22 | 100s: 1 | 50s: 6

A destructive batsman and elite outfielder, Colin Munro's time with the Scorchers got off to a horror start with a duck in his first game. But he quickly bounced back, pumelling 49 in his next bat and with 29 appearances under his belt is the most capped Scorchers international and arguably the club's greatest signing. A consistent contributor, he passed fifty four times in BBL|10 on his way to a club best 443 runs – and fifth best in the league – while another 390 runs came in BBL|11. That included an unbeaten 114 off 73 balls against the Strikers – with 44 coming off the final 15 balls – in a match played behind closed doors in Sydney with Perth locked out of their home state. If there is a blemish on Munro's record, it's that he hasn't delivered in the two BBL finals he's played with Perth, scoring a combined three runs across the two deciders, but silverware last summer would have eased that pain.

Liam Livingstone (England)

Seasons: BBL|09 – BBL|10

 

M: 28 | Runs: 851 | HS: 79 | SR: 138.15 | Ave: 30.39 | 50s: 7

 

Wkts: 9 | BBI: 2-4 | Ave: 16.55 | Econ: 8.20

Perth's most dynamic international batter since Herschelle Gibbs, Livingstone formed an exhilarating opening combination with Josh Inglis in a stellar debut season that saw him score 425 at the explosive strike rate of 142.61 with four fifties. His BBL|10 campaign was nearly as good, smashing 426 runs at a slightly reduced strike rate of 133.96 and top scored for Perth in their BBL final defeat to the Sixers. His leg-spin was also a welcome development, and he proved more than handy with the ball. Livingstone's career took an upwards trajectory after his BBL efforts, and a combination of COVID and international duties kept him from a return in BBL|11. He became a social media sensation after copping two low blows in the same innings against the Renegades in his debut season.

David Willey (England)

Seasons: BBL|05 – BBL|08

 

M: 27 | Runs: 229 | HS: 55 | SR: 108.02 | Ave: 14.31 | 50s: 1

 

Wkts: 26 | BBI: 3-22 | Ave: 24.26 | Econ: 7.42

A hard-hitting batter and canny left-arm quick, David Willey was a mainstay of the Perth Scorchers side between 2015 and 2019. He is Perth's third-most capped import with 27 appearances, even with early exits in BBL|06 and BBL|07 for international commitments. So confident in Willey were the Justin Langer-coached Scorchers in BBL|07, they opted to go in just the one overseas player, but later called in Bresnan when England came calling again. His final season in Perth saw form desert him as he was troubled by a shoulder injury, ultimately dropped and returning to England before the season had ended.

Laurie Evans (England)

Seasons: BBL|11, BBL|13

 

M: 25 | Runs: 653 | HS: 85no | SR: 161.63 | Ave: 46.64 | 50s: 5

Laurie Evans cemented his spot in Perth Scorchers folklore with a blistering 76no from 41 balls that fired the club to the BBL|11 title. Recruited by Perth through a recommendation by Ashton Agar after they had played together in England, Evans played the whip hand in rescuing Perth from 4-25 in the final. To top it off, he played the knock with a broken toe after copping a yorker on the boot in mid-January. An experienced middle-order player, the 34-year-old veteran 'finished' the innings on numerous occasions for the Scorchers in BBL|11 and when he returned in BBL|13, which included a club-record fastest fifty off 18 balls against the Strikers in January 2024. Evans was also due to play for the Scorchers in BBL|12 but had to withdraw following uncertainty over his availability after a positive result on an anti-doping test.

Yasir Arafat (Pakistan)

Seasons: BBL|03 – BBL|04

 

M: 16 | Wkts: 27 | BBI: 4-24 | Ave: 17.37 | Econ: 7.62

The Pakistan international will forever have a place in Scorchers history for scrambling the winning run in the BBL|04 final at Manuka in one of the most dramatic final T20 cricket has seen. Arafat was a late replacement for Perth in 2013 after West Indian Dwayne Smith pulled out, and had a terrific BBL|03 with 12 wickets in six games. He missed the BBL|03 finals campaign but more than made up for it the following year. He snared 15 wickets in 10 games, the second-most in the competition for BBL|04, and his scampered single off the final ball, courtesy of a blown run out chance, secured Perth back-to-back titles.

Herschelle Gibbs (South Africa)

Seasons: BBL|01 – BBL|02

 

M: 16 | Runs: 488 | HS: 71 | SR: 139.42 | Ave: 32.53 | 50s: 6

One of Perth's greatest imports, sadly for Herschelle Gibbs, his record shows he was never quite at his best in the biggest games. A stellar BBL|01 season was soured by a golden duck in the final against the Sixers, and a hamstring injury ruled him out of the BBL|02 decider against the Heat. His BBL|01 season was elite – 302 runs in seven games at 151.75 and average of 43.14 as opener, and his top score of 71 off 46 came in a semi-final win over the Stars. But that form couldn't quite be replicated the following year, with three fifties offset by five single-figure scores. He also played four games for the club at the ill-fated 2012 T20 Champions League tournament.

Alfonso Thomas (South Africa)

Seasons: BBL|02 – BBL|03

 

M: 16 | Wkts: 16 | BBI: 4-8 | Ave: 24.81 | Econ: 7.26

A late replacement for fellow South African Albie Morkel after Cricket South Africa refused to grant clearance, Thomas had a great BBL|02 season with 12 scalps to finish fourth in the tournament overall, including a career-best 4-8 against the Renegades, as Perth reached the final, only to lose to the Heat. Thomas didn't hit the same heights in BBL|03 with just four wickets for the season but saved his best for last as he claimed 2-23 as Perth won their first BBL title against Hobart.

Michael Carberry (England)

Seasons: BBL|04 – BBL|05

 

M: 15 | Runs: 353 | HS: 77no | SR: 127.44 | Ave: 35.30 | 50s: 4

The Englishman arrived with Aussie fans remembering his role in the 2013-14 Ashes whitewash, but soon showed Big Bash audiences his T20 credentials in a middle-order role with 266 runs in nine innings in BBL|04. The highlight was a 37-ball 77no including six sixes that saw Perth recover from a top order wobble to easily run down the Heat at home. Carberry played a vital role in that dramatic final over for the BBL|04 final, with his ramp off Brett Lee's first ball helping to set up the win. His BBL|05 was a stop-start affair, dropped after two failures, he returned to post 62 off 35 in a thriller against the Hurricanes before his returns fell away and was again benched.

Chris Jordan (England)

Season: BBL|09

 

M: 13 | Wkts: 15 | BBI: 3-28 | Ave: 24.93 | Econ: 8.69

The flying Englishman took one of the all-time great catches in BBL history with his diving outfield effort in just his second game to become an instant fan favourite. He was a consistent contributor with the ball across the season, taking 15 wickets in 13 games, but Perth missed him at the back end of the season when he was called up by England and the Scorchers missed the finals for a second straight summer.

Stephen Eskinazi (England)

Seasons: BBL|12 – BBL|13

 

M: 13 | Runs: 258 | HS: 66no | SR: 119.44 | Ave: 23.45 | 50s: 2

Raised in Perth as a teenager, Eskinazi represented Western Australia under-17s and under-19s and plays club cricket for Claremont-Nedlands during the English winter. The right-hander plays county cricket for Lord's-based side Middlesex and was part of the Scorchers BBL|12 title-winning XI where a brain fade of failing to ground his bat at the non-strikers' end saw him run out for 21 in the final against the Heat. Thankfully, 'Eski' could breathe a sigh of relief as young gun Cooper Connolly and Nick Hobson got them over the line in front of 53,886 fans in one of the greatest BBL matches ever seen.

Jason Roy (England)

Season: BBL|10

 

M: 12 | Runs: 355 | HS: 74no | SR: 130.51 | Ave: 32.27 | 50s: 2

Big-hitting England opener Jason Roy was another great signing for the Scorchers in BBL|10, but his season was soured by a disappointing finals campaign – having failed in the qualifier final, he then rolled his ankle during a training drill and was forced to sit out the remainder of the campaign as the Scorchers lost to the Sixers. Prior to that, he'd helped form a formidable top three in BBL|10 with Liam Livingstone and Colin Munro.

Ian Bell (England)

Season: BBL|06

 

M: 10 | Runs: 231| HS: 61 | SR: 126.92 | Ave: 33.00 | 50s: 1

With his international career in the rear-view mirror, England's Ian Bell proved an astute signing for Perth for the 2016-17 summer. He announced himself with 61 from 42 on debut and was an excellent contributor with the bat in nine of his 10 matches. He played a key role supporting Michael Klinger as the Scorchers ran away with the BBL|06 title, hitting 31 from 25 in the final as Perth claimed their third title.

Tim Bresnan (England)

Seasons: BBL|06 – BBL|07

 

M: 10 | Wkts: 17 | BBI: 3-40 | Ave: 18.11 | Econ: 8.47

 

Runs: 70 | HS: 43 | SR: 159.09 | Ave: 70.00

First arriving in Perth as a replacement for David Willey during the BBL|06 title run, Bresnan underlined his value with three wickets in the final to mop up the Sixers tail. He returned the following summer to again replace Willey when the allrounder departed for national duties and helped Perth to finish in top spot for BBL|07 with regular wickets. He blasted 43 with the bat in the BBL|07 semi-final but it was a horror collapse for Perth as Hobart stormed past them into the final.

Paul Collingwood (England)

Season: BBL|01

 

M: 9 | Runs: 113 | HS: 32 | SR: 122.82 | Ave: 16.14

Fresh from captaining England to the 2010 T20 World Cup title, Paul Collingwood joined the Perth Scorchers as their second ever international, after Herschelle Gibbs, after retiring from Test cricket. A valuable middle-order player and gun fielder Collingwood was a solid contributor for Perth and his experience shone through as he put up his best performance in the BBL|01 final with 32 in a losing cause.

Tymal Mills (England)

Season: BBL|11

 

M: 7 | Wkts: 12 | BBI: 3-23 | Ave: 15.83 | Econ: 7.35

Perth had originally signed Brydon Carse, but less than 24 hours later the rapid 26-year-old South Africa-born Englishman had suffered a serious knee injury, paving the way for Tymal Mills to continue his late career resurgence. The left-arm quick was key for England in the 2020 T20 World Cup and, after stints with both the Brisbane Heat and Hobart Hurricanes, the BBL final saw the best of him with Perth. Mills was impressive for the Scorchers with 12 wickets in his seven games before leaving before the finals campaign for international duty.

Usman Qadir (Pakistan)

Season: BBL|08

 

M: 7 | Wkts: 6 | BBI: 1-25 | Ave: 33.83| Econ: 8.45

The son of Pakistan legend Abdul Qadir, Usman's time in Perth was short but colourful. The then 26-year-old had declared he wanted to represent Australia after turning his back on Pakistan, but was contracted as an international by the Scorchers. He struggled for impact, was dropped from the team, then left the club embarrassed when he was caught driving 45kph over the speed limit around the WACA and had his sponsor-provided car seized by police in a rare forgettable season for the Scorchers who finished with the BBL's wooden spoon.

Faf du Plessis (South Africa)

Seasons: BBL|12

 

M: 7 | Runs: 163 | HS: 68 | SR: 153.77 | Ave: 23.28 | 50s: 1

Surprisingly overlooked in the inaugural BBL overseas player draft, du Plessis signed with the Scorchers as a replacement for Laurie Evans in BBL|12 following his positive result on an anti-doping test. The South African great didn't disappoint in his seven matches before departing for the SA20 competition, operating at a strike rate above 150 and smashing 33-ball 68 with five sixes against the Stars at Junction Oval.

Adam Lyth (England)

Seasons: BBL|12

 

M: 7 | Runs: 73 | HS: 35 | SR: 96.05 | Ave: 10.42

It was a tough maiden stint in the BBL for the Yorkshireman after signing as a replacement player for BBL|12 when the Scorchers lost Phil Salt, Laurie Evans and Mitchell Marsh for the season. He only scored more than 12 runs once and hasn't been seen in the competition since.

David Payne (England)

Seasons: BBL|12

 

M: 6 | Wkts: 10 | BBI: 3-20 | Ave: 17.10 | Econ: 7.43

The tall English left-armer was a revelation for the injury-hit Scorchers in BBL|12, signing as a late-minute replacement when they lost Tymal Mills prior to the season. He took three wickets twice during the campaign, including in the Qualifier against the Sixers. He also collected 1-37 in the final to help the club to a record fifth title. He would join the Strikers a year later however when they required a replacement in BBL|13 following Rashid Khan's withdrawal.

Zak Crawley (England)

Seasons: BBL|13

 

M: 6 | Runs: 155 | HS: 65no | SR: 108.39 | Ave: 31.00 | 50s: 2

England's 'Bazball' star was drafted by the Scorchers with pick 16 of the BBL|13 Draft to cover the loss of Cameron Bancroft to the Thunder. Crawley showed glimpses of the destruction he's wreaked to Test attacks since Brendon McCullum took charge of England in 2022 with half-centuries against the Hurricanes and Thunder.

Joe Clarke (England)

Season: BBL|10

 

M: 3 | Runs: 44 | HS: 34 | SR: 183.33 | Ave: 14.66

A short-term signing to cover Livingstone and Roy while they were serving hotel quarantine after arriving to the BBL late following England's tour of South Africa, Clarke failed to fire in his short time with Perth, with his top score a quickfire 34 coming in a washout against the Melbourne Stars.

Morne Morkel (South Africa)

Season: BBL|09

 

M: 1 | Wkts: 0 | BBI: 0-18 | Ave: N/A | Econ: 18.00

Drafted in to replace Chris Jordan, Morne Morkel's BBL debut was rather forgettable. In a rain-affected, reduced-overs contest, he only bowled the one over, was carted around by Alex Hales, and not seen again. Although living in Australia at the time, Morkel was at the time still considered an import for contracting purposes.