It is that time of year again where the big hitters of the cricketing world descend onto Australia for another addition of the KFC Big Bash League. One of the teams vying for the trophy for the second time since the introduction of the tournament is the Sydney Sixers.
The Sixers managed to make it to the semi-finals last season, losing to the Perth Scorchers, who later went on to win the tournament. This year, they will find the trip a little more challenging.
The Sixers have had to overcome a few obstacles in the lead up to game one. Besides being hit with injuries, missing players like Steve Smith, Josh Hazlewood, Brad Haddin and Mitchell Starc who are all currently representing their country in test cricket, they will be without their big international name, West Indian Dwayne Bravo, who has pulled out at the last minute for the second year in a row. This means the Sixers will be without a big international name in their line-up, relying on the skills of English opener Michael Lumb to carry the overseas torch.
However, this does not mean they will be without the skillset to keep themselves in contention for the trophy. If I were to pick a player to watch, it would be the young quick, Sean Abbott. He picked up a career best 6-14 to help NSW obtain their Sheffield Shield victory against Queensland last week; his first match since returning to cricket after his bouncer caused the tragic death of Phil Hughes. Labelled as an all-rounder, he has the ability to contribute with the bat too. Another player I believe will be one to watch is batsman Ryan Carters. An abundant run scorer, he has moved from city rivals Sydney Thunder and is pegged to rack up the runs at a monumental rate. They will join the likes of Brett Lee, Doug Bollinger and Moises Henriques who need no introduction when it comes to their capability.
Stand-in captain Moises Henriques will lead a fairly young team that has been patched back together over the previous few months with sceptics looking on. While some believe the Sixers are the team of the tournament due to the exciting and talented youngsters taking the field in the magenta shirt, bookies in Australia are claiming the Sixers are probably the biggest outsiders to win the tournament and favourites to record the most losses by the end of the six weeks.
It is difficult to predict what this team might do this time around due to the simple fact that I haven’t seen some of the players play before. With what seems like a completely new combination of players being fielded, it is nearly impossible to predict how they will perform as a unit. This makes them one of the more exciting teams to watch this season and gain my full backing on their road to victory.
Squad:
Brad Haddin (c), *Moises Henriques (acting captain while Haddin is absent), *Sean Abbott, *Doug Bollinger, *Ryan Carters, *Ed Cowan, *Luke Doran, *Ben Dwarshuis, *Simon Keen, *Brett Lee, *Michael Lumb, *Nic Maddinson, *Jordan Silk, Steve Smith, Stephen O’Keefe, Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood, Trent Copeland, Nathan Lyon
Note – names marked with * make up the team selected for their first game against the Melbourne Renegades.
Fixtures:
19 December – vs. Melbourne Renegades
23 December – vs. Hobart Hurricanes
27 December – vs. Sydney Thunder
29 December – vs. Perth Scorchers
5 January – vs. Melbourne Stars
11 January – vs. Brisbane Heat
14 January – vs. Adelaide Strikers
22 January – vs. Sydney Thunder
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