BBL|14 preview: Captain Ellis bullish on Hurricanes' depth

Hobart Hurricanes have borrowed from the playbook of Perth Scorchers, Sydney Sixers and Brisbane Heat in recent times with continuity the key as they enter KFC BBL|14 searching for the club's first title.

Queenslanders Liam Guthrie and Sam Heazlett are the only players they didn't re-sign from last season, and they've added Tasmanian Tigers batter Charlie Wakim and wicketkeeper Jake Doran in their place.

Experienced England quick Chris Jordan returns for a second straight season as well, with West Indies ODI captain Shai Hope a huge addition in a powerful batting line-up already featuring Matthew Wade, Tim David and Ben McDermott.

Jordan heads the pace attack that remains as strong as ever, while the continual development of Tassie quick Iain Carlisle and allrounder Mitch Owen will keep the likes of Riley Meredith and Billy Stanlake on their toes.

Last season: Fifth (4 wins, 6 losses)

 

BBL|14 squad: Iain Carlisle, Nikhil Chaudhary, Tim David, Paddy Dooley, Jake Doran, Nathan Ellis, Peter Hatzoglou, Shai Hope (West Indies), Caleb Jewell, Chris Jordan (England), Ben McDermott, Riley Meredith, Mitch Owen, Waqar Salamkheil (Afghanistan), Billy Stanlake, Matthew Wade, Charlie Wakim, Mac Wright. Signed replacement player: Marcus Bean

 

Ins: Charlie Wakim, Shai Hope (West Indies), Waqar Salamkheil (Afghanistan), Jake Doran, Marcus Bean

 

Outs: Liam Guthrie, Sam Heazlett. Withdrawn players: Rishad Hossain (Bangladesh)

 

BBL|14 Draft selections: Shai Hope (pick 5 – Platinum), Chris Jordan (pre-signed, allocated pick 12 – Platinum), Rishad Hossain (pick 28 – Bronze)

Season fixture

Player availability

England quick Chris Jordan returns to the Hurricanes for a second straight season having signed a two-year deal with full availability for the BBL|14 campaign. Shai Hope has been released from West Indies T20 squad taking on Bangladesh this week to play Big Bash and Hurricanes captain Nathan Ellis says the stylish right-hander would meet them in Geelong for their first game against Melbourne Renegades on Thursday. He'll be available for most of the regular season before heading to UAE's ILT20 competition in January.

Overseas replacement player Waqar Salamkheil will also depart after six matches to join MI Emirates in the UAE.

Ellis says Mac Wright is close for a Big Bash return, but they don't want to take "any unnecessary risks" as he continues his recovery from an ACL injury. Wright suffered the left knee injury during a One-Day Cup match against Queensland last February and is on track for a return to club cricket in early January. Depending on how his rehab progresses in the next few weeks, he could be available towards the backend of BBL|14.

Squad reinforcements

Towering left-arm quick Marcus Bean has been signed as a local replacement player for Wright. The 200cm Queenslander was scouted by Hurricanes assistant coach James Hopes and plays for Northern Suburbs in the T20 Max.

Afghanistan T20 freelancer Waqar Salamkheil has been brought in as a replacement for draft pick Rishad Hossain, who has withdrawn from BBL|14 due to his Bangladesh Premier League commitments. The left-arm wrist spinner recently played with Hurricanes teammate Tim David in the Caribbean Premier League where he took 15 wickets in 11 matches for Trinbago Knight Riders.

Possible best XIs

Matthew Wade (wk), Caleb Jewell, Shai Hope, Ben McDermott, Tim David, Nikhil Chaudhary, Chris Jordan, Nathan Ellis (c), Waqar Salamkheil, Billy Stanlake, Riley Meredith

 

For the first game: Matthew Wade (wk), Caleb Jewell, Shai Hope, Ben McDermott, Tim David, Nikhil Chaudhary, Chris Jordan, Nathan Ellis (c), Waqar Salamkheil, Billy Stanlake, Riley Meredith

Inside word with Hurricanes captain Nathan Ellis

Second season as skipper

"I feel like I'm prepared as I can be but then the first game hits and you're under the pump and the preparedness goes out the window and when you're in the thick of it. (I've) learned from situations I was put in last season: good, bad and ugly. I've got this really good squad around me; I've got some good mates and a lot of experience so I'll be leaning on them again, but I'll be leaving no stone unturned for this squad."

Squad depth

"We've learned over the last few years that depth is key. We've had to reach deep into our resources with injury, illness or form so I think we've covered all bases. I'm going to have bowling options coming out of my ears, which is a really powerful thing in T20 cricket, especially with intensity and short turnaround of games … there's going to be some tough selections in the early stages but there will be times where we're using the depth of our squad and, thankfully, we've got that."

Opening combination

"I don’t want to give too much away in the early stages because that is going to be a talking point, we've got a really strong squad with a lot of options. I really like Matthew Wade at the top, so I think he'll definitely be starting up there – around him we've got a lot of blokes who can do it, and a lot who want to do it. We've got a good wicket here at Bellerive Oval so it's a good job to have opening the batting for Hobart Hurricanes. Hopefully, whoever gets the nod can make it their own."

Ben McDermott's best position

"He's one of those players that can be quite versatile and can bat in any stage. We used Ben at four last season, we've used him at opening in different years and he's always done really well. I really enjoyed him at four … his prowess at four is relatively unmatched in this competition (the fifth most of all-time with 796 runs at 41.89). But he definitely comes into the conversation at the top of the order too."

Overseas recruits

Chris Jordan (England): "I've played a fair bit of cricket with 'CJ' now and cricket aside, something that we value is the bloke that CJ is. He was really good in and among the boys last season, whether it was helping some of the bowlers or the more inexperienced guys. He's the ultimate professional and he's got a wealth of experience, so to have someone like him for the full tournament, we're very lucky."

Shai Hope (West Indies): "He's a really good addition for us, he's a world-class player. I've played a little bit against him, but it feels like since we picked him in the draft he's been in great form and in the runs every game. We're hoping he hasn't wasted them and really excited to get Shai at the Hurricanes – Chris Jordan knows him really well and speaks very highly of him, so I'm sure he'll fit in quite nicely."

Waqar Salamkheil (Afghanistan): "He's played a fair bit of franchise cricket now and his record is quite good. I personally haven't played against Waqar, but he was someone we spoke about in and around the draft a lot. We've got players like Tim David and Chris Jordan in our squad who have played with and against him around the world and they speak highly of him as a bloke but also his prowess in spin bowling. The one thing he'll bring for us this year is a point of difference as not a lot of people have seen him before."

Player to watch

"Since we drafted Shai Hope, I've kept a really close eye on him and I feel like every time I've seen him bat, I get more and more excited. I don’t want to put too much pressure on Shai, but when you get a world-class player like that, you know he's going to draw eyes to the TV, so I think he's my player to watch."

Team to beat

"The one that jumps out at me is the Sydney Thunder; they had a really good draft, and I think they've got quite a strong squad. People always seem to go the Scorchers or Sixers because they've had some sustained success over the last few years, but looking on paper, I feel like the Thunder have done really well out of the draft and have a good list."

Season previews: Strikers | Heat | Hurricanes | Renegades | Stars | Scorchers | Sixers | Thunder

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