Big Bash League returns to Sky Sports

The Big Bash League returns to Sky Sports for the 2021/22 season with Sydney Sixers looking to win a third title in a row and a number of English players involved…

Catch the opening game on Sunday as Sixers play Melbourne Stars, live on Sky Sports Main Event and Sky Sports Mx from 8am.

Read below for our team-by-team guide…

ADELAIDE STRIKERS

Who are their English players?

Exciting left-arm quick George Garton reunites with his former Sussex coach Jason Gillespie at the Adelaide Strikers, and the 24-year-old has also showcased his potential as a useful batting option in the middle-order.

Garton was among the leading wicket-takers in the Hundred as he helped guide Southern Brave to victory, and his impressive form for Sussex also saw him feature for Royal Challengers Bangalore in the latter stages of this year’s IPL.

Prospects for this season?

It’s been a rollercoaster period for the Strikers. Having triumphed in BBL 07, they slumped to a seventh-place finish the following season, but they have since re-emerged as a major contender.

Travis Head’s participation in the BBL could rest on his battle with Usman Khawaja for the No.5 spot in Australia’s Ashes side, although with or without their captain, their hopes could largely rest on the indomitable Rashid Khan.

The 23-year-old became the youngest man to claim 400 T20 wickets during Afghanistan’s World Cup clash against New Zealand, and he boasts a staggering 6.47 economy rate in 50 matches for the Strikers. If they are to reach the play-offs for a third straight season, he will hold the key.

BRISBANE HEAT

Who are their English players?

Tom Banton has pulled out due to concerns over Covid-bubble fatigue and quarantine rules in Australia, with his Somerset team-mate Tom Abell replacing him. Abell brings big hits and a medium-pace bowling option, too.

Nottinghamshire left-hander Ben Duckett has also been also snapped up. Duckett, who boasts an impressive T20 strike rate of 135.56, helped Notts Outlaws win the 2020 Blast and was the second-highest run scorer in the Hundred, hitting 232 in eight innings for the Welsh Fire.

Prospects for this season?

There are plenty of known quantities. Chris Lynn is the league’s top run-scorer, with 2,790 at the fourth-best all-time average of 37.20, and has hit the most sixes with 172 – 75 ahead of Glenn Maxwell in second.

Afghanistan spinner Mujeeb Ur Rahman also bowls with superb variation and economy, spinner Mitchell Swepson made the T20 World Cup-winning Australia squad and seamer Michael Neser can be counted on – if he is not in Ashes action.

The intense, gladiatorial Gabba is a daunting arena for visiting players, too, as England’s Ashes squad will soon be reminded, which could count in their favour, but they will do well to reach the play-offs.

HOBART HURRICANES

Who are their English players?

With Dawid Malan playing in the Ashes, the two-time runners-up have snapped up one of English cricket’s hottest properties in the shape of Harry Brook.

The 22-year-old was a revelation for Yorkshire and Northern Superchargers last term; he boasted an astonishing 69.42 average in the T20 Blast after amassing 486 runs in 13 innings, and he was subsequently named the PCA Male Young Player of the Year.

Prospects for this season?

The Hurricanes are one of the only teams without a Big Bash title to their name, and they will be hoping to improve on their sixth-place finish last term, with net run-rate ultimately thwarting their play-off ambitions.

Matthew Wade’s T20 World Cup heroics were not enough to earn him a Test match return for the Ashes, but Wade’s loss is Hobart’s gain, as the explosive wicketkeeper-batsman can focus his efforts on creating history with the Hurricanes.

Tim David, D’Arcy Short and Brook give the two-time runners-up real strength in the batting department, and if Nepal’s spin sensation Sandeep Lamichhane produces the goods, they could be this year’s surprise package.

MELBOURNE RENEGADES

Who are their English players?

Reece Topley admitted he was indebted to Melbourne Renegades for their role in rebuilding his career, and the left-armer can now repay that faith after being snapped up as the club’s first overseas signing for the new season.

Topley was a late addition to England’s T20 World Cup squad in the UAE, and with an abundance of experience in the shortest format of the game, his pace, swing and death bowling could be vital as they look to recover from a disappointing campaign last term.

Prospects for this season?

The Renegades are aiming to avoid the indignity of propping up the BBL table for a third successive season, having registered just four wins from 14 matches in a miserable 2020/21 campaign.

Aaron Finch endured a tumultuous run of form last term, scoring 179 runs at an average of 13.76, and although he was not prolific during the recent T20 World Cup, he will surely be buoyed after leading Australia to a landmark triumph.

Renegades have secured the signature of Zahir Khan to feature alongside his compatriot Mohammad Nabi.

MELBOURNE STARS

Who are their English players?

Having featured sparingly for Perth Scorchers last term, Joe Clarke became Stars’ first international signing ahead of the new season following a fruitful campaign for Notts Outlaws.

Clarke scored 44 runs in three matches during his time at Perth, although he underlined his credentials with a career-best 136 for the Outlaws during the T20 Blast, adding a further two half-centuries in a successful season across all formats.

Prospects for this season?

The Stars have been perennial contenders since the Big Bash’s inception, with eight semi-final appearances in the last 10 years. They have also lost in three finals since 2015, but the coveted BBL title has thus far proven elusive.

However, could that be about to change? The Stars have no shortage of world-class players in their ranks, adding experienced top-order batsman Joe Burns and the prodigiously-talented leg-spinner Qais Ahmad to their ranks.

They have a talismanic leader in Glenn Maxwell, while Marcus Stoinis and Adam Zampa both played starring roles in Australia’s maiden T20 World Cup triumph, with the latter finishing the tournament as the joint second-leading wicket-taker.

PERTH SCORCHERS

Who are their English players?

Brydon Carse was scheduled to feature for the Scorchers, but his knee injury has paved the way for England seamer and T20 specialist Tymal Mills to step in as a replacement after competing in the Abu Dhabi T10. Big-hitting Surrey batter Laurie Evans has also signed up for his first taste of BBL cricket.

Prospects for this season?

There’s a certain amount of uncertainty surrounding the Perth Scorchers heading into BBL 11. Jason Roy and Liam Livingstone combined to magnificent effect at the top of the order last term, as they were denied a fourth Big Bash title by the Sixers.

However, with both men missing this year’s showpiece, Cameron Bancroft, Colin Munro and Mitchell Marsh will be expected to take up the mantle, particularly given Marsh’s success at No.3 at the T20 World Cup, culminating in a match-winning 77no in the final.

They also boast the leading wicket-taker from last year’s competition. Jhye Richardson performed magnificently to snare 29 wickets in 17 matches, although he could be involved in The Ashes.

The Scorchers’ attack has been bolstered by the signing of Peter Hatzoglou, who was Renegades’ stand-out performer with the ball in BBL 10.

SYDNEY SIXERS

Who are their English players?

James Vince returns to the Sydney Sixers after playing an instrumental role in their title-winning campaign last year. The Hampshire captain scored 537 runs in 16 innings at a strike rate of 143.58, and he also spearheaded Southern Brave to victory in the inaugural staging of the Hundred in the summer.

Vince will be joined by fellow England international Tom Curran, who was influential with both bat and ball during the Sixers’ triumph in 2019-20, snaring 22 wickets and scoring 133 runs at a strike rate of 150.

Prospects for this season?

The Sixers are targeting an unprecedented third consecutive title in 2022, and with the quality and experience at their disposal, it could take something special to deny the three-time winners, led by Moises Henriques.

They boast a formidable attack featuring Jackson Bird, Ben Dwarshuis and Sean Abbott – the second-highest wicket-taker in BBL history, although Nathan Lyon is not expected to feature prominently due to his Ashes commitments.

In Vince, Tom Curran and Carlos Braithwaite, they possess world-class overseas options, while they also welcome back Josh Philippe, who was named Player of the Tournament after his exploits with the bat for the Sixers in 2021.

SYDNEY THUNDER

Who are their English players?

Saqib Mahmood has been snapped up by Thunder for the upcoming BBL, and the exciting Lancashire seamer will join his compatriots Alex Hales and Sam Billings under former England head coach Trevor Bayliss.

Hales is one of the most destructive openers in the short format, and finished last year’s BBL as the tournament’s leading run-scorer, while Billings, who captained Kent to T20 Blast victory this summer, scored 260 runs in 10 innings for Thunder last term.

Mahmood made his England breakthrough during July’s ODI series against Pakistan, and he also impressed during the recent PSL, claiming 12 wickets in his five appearances.

Prospects for this season?

It’s been a case of feast or famine for Sydney Thunder in the BBL. They memorably prevailed in the 2015/16 edition, yet they have also finished rock bottom on four separate occasions – more than double that of any other side.

However, Trevor Bayliss’ side enjoyed their best campaign since their title-winning season with a third-place finish, and Hales was instrumental in their improvement – claiming the Golden Cap after scoring a whopping 543 runs in 15 appearances, including a memorable century and three fifties.

Thunder could be without captain Usman Khawaja for large periods of the tournament, although they welcome 19-year-old Tanveer Sangha back into the fold, fresh from his prolific debut season that yielded 21 wickets at 18.28.

Watch the Big Bash League live on Sky Sports this winter!