Ashes

Big Bash League 2021 (BBL 2021): Everything You Need To Know Quickly—Teams, Fixtures, & Predictions

by Nitesh Mathur | Dec 6, 2021 | Previews and Reviews

Big Bash League (BBL 2021)—The Australian T20 League is back.

Australia is coming back from a victorious T20 World Cup campaign with a backdrop of Tim Paine’s scandal and an Ashes running in the background.

The first match of the Big Bash is already upon us. Glenn Maxwell’s Melbourne Stars suffered a horror loss by a mammoth 152 runs. If this game is anything to go by…we are going to be in for a long journey.

Here is everything you need to know about BBL 2021 quickly.

Also Read: What Can Ellyse Perry Not Do?

Quick Summary

Matches: 61 (8 teams, 14 matches each, double round robin, top 5 qualify for the playoffs)
Teams: Adelaide Strikers, Brisbane Heat, Hobart Hurricanes, Melbourne Renegades, Melbourne Stars, Perth Scorchers, Sydney Sixers, Sydney Thunders
Dates: December 5th 2021- January 28th, 2022
Venues: City: Stadium (Number of Matches)
- Adelaide: Adelaide Oval (7)
- Brisbane: The Gabba (5)
- Canberra: Manuka Oval (2)
- Coffs Harbour: Coffs Harbour International Stadium (2)
- Geelong: Kardinia Park (also known as GMHBA) (2)
- Gold Coast: Carrara Stadium (2)
- Hobart: Bellerive Oval (also known as Blundstone Arena) (5)
- Launceston: York Park (University of Tasmania Stadium) (2)
- Melbourne: Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) (6), Docklands Stadium (also known as Marvel Stadium) (5), Junction Oval (1)
- Perth: Perth Stadium (7)
- Sydney: Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG) (5), Sydney Showground Stadium (5)
Fixtures can be seen here.

History

Sydney Sixers: 2011, 2015, 2019, 2020 (Winners), 2014, 2016 (Runner-Up)
Perth Scorchers: 2013, 2014, 2016 (Winners), 2011, 2012, 2020 (Runner-Up)
Adelaide Strikers: 2017 (Winners)
Brisbane Heat: 2012 (Winners)
Melbourne Renegades: 2018 (Winners)
Sydney Thunders: 2015 (Winners)
Melbourne Stars: 2015, 2018, 2019 (Runner-Up)
Hobart Hurricanes: 2013, 2017 (Runner-Up)

BBL 2021: Teams & Expected Playing XI

Before we begin with the BBL 2021 squads, here are the Ashes squad for the first two Tests as well as the Australia A squad that is due to face the England Lions between Tests. In case of conflicts, several players might miss some of their Big Bash matches.

We might also see some early overseas signings replaced due to COVID, Australian quarantine rules, and visa issues.

Ashes XI

David Warner, 2. Marcus Harris, 3. Marnus Labuschagne, 4. Steven Smith 9VC), 5. Travis Head, 6. Cameron Green, 7. Alex Carey (WK), 8. Pat Cummins (C), 9. Josh Hazlewood, 10. Mitchell Starc, 11. Nathan Lyon

Squad: 12. Michael Neser, 13. Jhye Richarson, 14. Mitchell Swepson, 15. Usman Khawaja

Australia A Squad (December 9-12 Tour Game)

Matt Renshaw, 2. Josh Inglis (WK), 3. Nic Maddinson, 4. Mitchell Marsh, 5. Alex Carey (WK), 6. Ashton Agar, 7. Henry Hunt, 8. Bryce Street, 9. Sean Abbott, 10. Scott Boland, 11. Mark Steketee

*Teams highlighted in their respective jersey colors

Adelaide Strikers

Captain: Travis Head (C), Alex Carey (VC/WK)

Australia Internationals: Peter Siddle, Matt Renshaw, Fawad Ahmed, Daniel Worrall (3 ODIs), Wes Agar (2 ODIs)
Australia Domestic: Jake Weatherald, Harry Conway, Ryan Gibson, Spencer Johnson, Harry Nielsen (WK), Liam O’Connor, Liam Scott, Matthew Short, Jonathan Wells
Foreign Recruits: Rashid Khan (Afghanistan), Phil Salt, George Garton (England)

Coaching Staff: Jason Gillespie

I am looking forward to Peter Siddle and Rashid Khan. It is the time of the year where Siddle’s energy flows through and Rashid Khan’s presence is enough to send fears to the opposition camp.

Adelaide Strikers Expected XI:

Phil Salt, 2. Jake Weatherald, 3. Travis Head/Alex Carey (C), 4. Matt Renshaw, 5. Ryan Gibson, 6. Jonathan Wells, 7. Michael Neser, 8. George Garton, 9. Rashid Khan, 10. Fawad Ahmed, 11. Peter Siddle

Predicted Result: 7th

Brisbane Heat

Captain: Jimmy Peirson (WK)

Australia Internationals: Marnus Labuschagne, Chris Lynn, Michael Neser, Mitchell Swepson, Sam Heazlett (1 ODI), Jack Wildermuth (1 T20I)
Australia Domestic: Xavier Bartlett, James Bazley, Max Bryant, Matthew Kuhnemann, Mark Steketee, Connor Sully, Matthew Willans, Liam Guthrie, Will Prestwisdge
Foreign Recruits: Tom Banton, Ben Duckett, Tom Abell (England), Tom Cooper (Netherlands), Mujeeb Ur Rahman

Coaching Staff: Wade Seccombe

I am looking forward to the foreign recruits. Ben Duckett was the find of The Hundred, and Mujeeb and Banton are match winners on their day.

Brisbane Heat Expected XI:

1. Chris Lynn, 2. Max Bryant/Labuschagne/Banton, 3. Ben Duckett, 4. Sam Heazlett, 5. Jack Wildurmuth, 6. Jimmy Pierson, 7. James Bazley/Michael Neser, 8. Xavier Bartlett, 9. Mujeeb Ur Rahman, 10. Matthew Kuhnemann, 11. Liam Guthrie/Mitchell Swepson

Predicted Result: 8th

Hobart Hurricanes

Captain: Matthew Wade (C/WK)

Australia Internationals: Scott Boland, Nathan Ellis, James Faulkner, Peter Handscomb, Ben McDermott (WK), Riley Meredith, D’arcy Short
Australia Domestic: Jake Doan (WK), Caleb Jewell, David Moody, Mitchell Owen, Wil Parker, Aaron Summers, Charlier Wakim, Nick Winter, Macalister Wright, Jordan Thompson
Foreign Recruits: Tim David (Singapore), Johan Botha (now domestic Australian player), Colin Ingram (South Africa), Dawid Malan, Will Jacks, Harry Brook (England), Sandeep Lamichhane (Nepal), Keemo Paul (West Indies)

Coaching Staff: Adam Griffith

I am looking forward to World Cup star Matthew Wade. Finally rising to the international stage, can he take Hobart to their first BBL? Also watch out for Tim David from Singapore, who is making his name in T20 leagues around the world.

Hobart Hurricanes Expected XI:

1. Matthew Wade, 2. D’Arcy Short, 3. Colin Ingram/Dawid Malan, 4. Peter Handscomb, 5. Ben McDermott, 6. Tim David, 7. James Faulkner, 8. Scott Boland, 9. Nathan Ellis, 10. Riley Meredith, 11. Sandeep Lamichhane

Predicted Result: 1st/Winners

Melbourne Renegades

Captain: Nic Maddinson

Australia Internationals: Aaron Finch, Shaun Marsh, Marcus Harris, Cameron Boyce, James Pattinson (retired from international duty), Kane Richardson
Australia Domestic: Zak Evans, Jake Fraser-McGurk, Sam Harper, Mackenzie Harvey, Josh Lalor, Jonathan Merlo, Jack Prestwidge, Will Sutherland, Mitch Perry
Foreign Recruits: Mohammad Nabi, Zahir Khan (Afghanistan), Reece Topley (England), Unmukt Chand (USA/ ex-India)

Coaching Staff: David Saker

I am looking forward to James Pattinson, Shaun Marsh, and Mohammad Nabi. These three are at the end of their careers, and I hope they still have a couple of good years in them. Also curious if Melbourne will play Unmukt Chand or if it is only to lure future Indian cricketers.

Melbourne Renegades Expected XI:

1. Aaron Finch, 2. Shaun Marsh, 3. Nic Maddinson, 4. Jake Fraser-McGurk, 5. Mackenzie Harvey, 6. Mohammad Nabi, 7. Kane Richardson, 8. James Pattinson, 9. Reece Topley, 10. Zahir Khan, 11. Cameron Boyce

Predicted Result: 3rd

Melbourne Stars

Captain: Glenn Maxwell (C), Marcus Stoinis (VC)

Australia Internationals: Joe Burns, Hilton Cartwright, Nathan Coulter-Nile, Adam Zampa, Billy Stanlake, Will Pucovski, Peter Nevill (WK)
Australia Domestic: Jackson Coleman, Seb Gotch (WK), Liam Hatcher, Clint Hinchliffe, Nick Larkin, Lance Morris, Tom O’Connell, Sam Rainbird, Beau Webster, Sam Elliot, Brody Couch
Foreign Recruits: Qais Ahmed (Afghanistan), Syed Faridoun (Pakistan), Joe Clarke (England)

Coaching Staff: David Hussey

I am looking forward to the Australian international regiment. Maxwell, Stoinis, Zampa won’t be missing much due to the Ashes and they are in red hot form. Hope they rebound from the first game.

Melbourne Stars Expected XI:

Marcus Stoinis, 2. Joe Clarke, 3. Joe Burns, 4. Nick Larkin, 5. Glenn Maxwell (C), 6. Hilton Cartwright, 7. Peter Neville (WK), 8. Nathan Coulter-Nile, 9. Syed Faridoun/Qais Ahmed, 10. Billy Stanlake, 11. Adam Zampa

Predicted Result: 6th

Perth Scorchers

Captain: Ashton Turner

Australia Internationals: Mitchell Marsh, Ashton Agar, Cameron Bancroft (WK), Jason Behrendorff, Jhye Richardson, Andrew Tye, Cameron Green, Kurtis Patterson (2 Tests), Joel Paris (2 ODIs)
Australia Domestic: Josh Inglis (WK), Peter Hatzoglou, Matthew Kelly, Cooper Connolly, Aaron Hardie, Nick Hobson
Foreign Recruits: Colin Munro (New Zealand), Laurie Evans (England), Cameron Gannon (USA international/Australia domestic)

Coaching Staff: Adam Voges

I am looking forward to Josh Inglis. Alex Carey barely pipped him to the Ashes spot but he will be there for Australia A game. Can he warm up with some BBL runs? You can never count Perth Scorchers out.

Perth Scorchers Expected XI:

1. Josh Inglis (WK), 2. Cameron Bancroft, 3. Mitchell Marsh, 4. Colin Munro,, 6. Ashton Agar, 7. Cameron Green, 8. Jhye Richardson/Jason Behrendorff, 9. Andrew Tye, 10. Joel Paris, 11. Kurtis Patterson

Predicted Result: 2nd

Sydney Sixers

Captain: Moises Henriques (C), Daniel Hughes (VC)

Australia Internationals: Dan Christian, Sean Abbott, Jackson Bird, Nathon Lyon, Steve O’Keefe, Josh Philippe (WK)
Australia Domestic: Jordan Silk, Ben Dwarshuis, Hayden Kerr, Jack Edwards, Mickey Edwards, Benjamin Manenti, Lloyd Pope
Foreign Recruits: Carlos Brathwaite (injured), Chris Jordan (West Indies), Tom Curran, James Vince (England)

Coaching Staff: Greg Shipperd

I am looking forward to James Vince and Tom Curran. Vince has the Big Bash to thank for his England return last year and both Curran-Vince needs good BBLs to make it the 2022 T20 World Cup in Australia.

Sydney Sixers Expected XI:

Josh Philippe (WK), 2. James Vince, 3. Moises Henriques (C), 4. Dan Christian, 5. Tom Curran, 6. Jordan Silk, 7. Daniel Hughes, 8. Sean Abbott, 9. Hayden Kerr, 10. Chris Jordan, 11. Steve O’Keefe

Predicted Result: 5th

Sydney Thunder

Captain: Usman Khawaja

Australia Internationals: Ben Cutting, Daniel Sams, Chris Tremain (4 ODIs)
Australia Domestic: Chris Green, Jason Sangha, Baxter Holt (WK), Oliver Davies, Brendan Doggett, Matthew Gilkes (WK), Arjun Nair, Alex Ross, Tanveer Sangha, Sam Whiteman, Gurinder Sandhu, Jonathon Cook
Foreign Recruits: Alex Hales, Sam Billings (WK), Saqib Mahmood (England) (Adam Milne – NZ)

Coaching Staff: Trevor Bayliss

I am looking forward to The English foreign brigade. Alex Hales at the top, Sam Billings to finish it off and Saqib Mahmood with the pace. Also much to prove for captain Usman Khawaja since Travis Head was picked as Australia’s #5 for the Ashes.

Sydney Thunder Expected XI:

1. Usman Khawaja (C), 2. Alex Hales, 3. Sam Whiteman, 4. Matthew Gilkes, 5. Sam Billings (WK), 6. Alex Ross, 7. Daniel Sams, 8. Ben Cutting, 9. Chris Green, 10. Gurinder Sandhu, 11. Tanveer Sangha

Predicted Result: 4th

Big Bash League 2021 (BBL 2021) Predictions

Finally here are my predictions.

My prediction for the team to lift the BBL 2021 trophy is….Hobart Hurricanes!

Most Runs: Josh Philippe
Most Wickets: James Pattinson
MVP: Matthew Wade
Emerging Player: Tanveer Sangha/Jake Fraser-McGurk
Surprise Package: Johan Botha
Broken Cricket Dream: Most Australian internationals miss BBL for the Ashes; most internationals lose out due to COVID; crowd skips the tournament altogether

Here were my Big Bash League – BBL 2021 Predictions. What did you think? What are YOUR predictions? Comment Below!

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© Copyright @Nitesh Mathur and Broken Cricket Dreams, 2021. Originally published on 12/05/2021. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this site’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Broken Cricket Dreams with appropriate and specific direction to the original content (i.e. linked to the exact post/article).

Videos

1. Best Catches – WC 2019 Edition

Starting where we left off in our last article over Best Fielders, we relive some of the best catches of the 2019 Cricket World Cup. There were diving catches, acrobatic boundary efforts, wicket-keeper excellence, and much more.

Views: 10 million

2. Best Yorkers – WC 2019 Edition

Moving on to bowling. One of the ways of getting batsmen out is by hitting the wickets, known as – ‘bowled.’ The most pleasing way for a bowled is for a toe-crushing ‘yorker.’ Enjoy this video on the Best Yorkers from the 2019 Cricket World Cup.

Views: 20 million

3. Mitchell Johnson – Bouncer Compilation

Continuing with bowling, we look at the ‘Bouncer.’ This is a tactic used by bowlers to intimidate the batsman, and in the process, driving a mistake out of them. Mitchell Johnson in 2013-14 became one of the best and scariest bowlers, when he single-handedly destroyed a generation of the English team.

Views: 1.7 million

4. Biggest Sixes – WC 2019 Edition

Moving to batting. While bowlers and fielders try to restrict the number of runs the batting team can score, the batting team tries to score as many as possible. The most runs that a team can get from one ball is from a six, when the ball goes out of the stadium without bouncing. Here are the biggest sixes from the 2019 cricket world cup.

Views: 4.6 million

5. Dinesh Karthik’s Day Out

This one is also batting excellence. One of the best viewings of a cricket match happens when a game is thriller. This video is on a T20 game, where after 4 hours, there was little to separate the two sides. Bangladesh were ahead with just about 15 minutes to go in the Final of the Nidahas Trophy, when Dinesh Karthik scripted a once-in-a-lifetime comeback.

Views: 98.9 million (Let us see if we can take to a 100 million views!)

6. Dinesh Karthik Part II

Oh and that was not the end. You thought 98 million is a lot. How about 169 million views and counting? Watch Dinesh Karthik seal the tournament final with a last ball six.

7. The Most Epic Ending of All

Speaking of last-ball thrillers, how about leave the best for last? World Cup Final Super Over tie. For all the non-cricketing fans, both the actual match and the overtime, called the Super Over, were tied.

Ian Smith, the commentator, summarized it best, “7 weeks of cricket, 48 games, and one ball.”

Views: 6.7 million

For this final, you can also watch the entire highlights here (33 million), the final over here (33 million), and just the Super Over here (7.8 million)

What are your favorite cricket memories? Comment below, share, and subscribe!

Sources: YouTube-2019 Cricket World Cup, ICC- What is Cricket?, YouTube-Cricket Australia, YouTube – Sri Lanka Cricket

How Can the World Test Championship Improve?

by Nitesh Mathur | Jul 28, 2020 | Cricket innovations, World Test Championship

Good Idea, but Needs Structural Improvement Part I: The Marquee Series

World Test Championship – The Problem:

The World Test Championship is a decent idea needs improvement. We propose a structure where the imbalance created by the Big 3 is reduced.

We discuss the imbalance created by the Big 3-England, Australia, and India through ‘marquee’ series like the 5-Test Ashes, a possible solution, and implications of this structure.

The Background:

After a test match begins, one of my friends usually asks me, “Remind me again, is this match considered as a part of the WTC?” Although the current system has improved contextualizing Test cricket, there is a bias on ‘marquee’ series’ like the Ashes at the expense of creating a balanced environment. There should be a competitive environment where each team plays each opponent, and the lesser-ranked teams as well as the newest entrants—Ireland and Afghanistan—become competitive.

The Statistic:

Currently the top 9 teams will compete for a total of 75 matches, and the newest entrants plus Zimbabwe will not participate. England will play 22 matches, Australia-19, India-18, South Africa-16, West Indies-15, Bangladesh and New Zealand-14, and Pakistan and Sri Lanka-13. The Ashes and India-England are scheduled as 5-match series while India-Australia and South Africa-England are 4-match series.

On the other hand, most of New Zealand, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka play 2-match series. Furthermore, not all series count, even an enthralling rivalry like New Zealand vs England in 2019. At this point, the Future Tour Programme (FTP) and the World Test Championship are two separate entities, where games can be accommodated to the FTP if both playing countries agree. In order to better contextualize the game and decrease an overkill of cricket, the FTP and WTC need to merge.

The Proposal:

We propose creating a structure where rivalries and marquee series are expanded. So, how would this work? Each team will play 3 major series in the following categories: Marquee (M), Semi-Marquee (S), and Regular (R). These Marquee games would be in a 5-4-3 format or a 4-4-4 format for a total of 12 games. All other series will be comprised of 2 games each.

For example, England will keep the 5-match ‘marquee’ Ashes versus Australia, and play a 4-match ‘semi-marquee’ series versus India. Similarly, Australia will play 4-match series versus India apart from the Ashes. At this point, both Australia and England have 9 scheduled games, while India have played 8. To accommodate the imbalance and avoid overkill, India will play another semi-marquee 4-match series versus South Africa, while Australia and England will play a 3-match ‘regular’ series versus another team.

Here is an example of how we can divide these marquee games among the test-playing nations.

England: Australia (M), India (S), West Indies (R) : 5-4-3
Australia: England (M), India (S), New Zealand (R): 5-4-3
India: England (S), Australia (S), South Africa (S) : 4-4-4
South Africa: New Zealand (M), India (S), Sri Lanka (R): 5-4-3
New Zealand: South Africa (M), Pakistan (S), Australia (R): 5-4-3
Pakistan: New Zealand (S), West Indies (S), Sri Lanka (S): 4-4-4
West Indies: Bangladesh (M), Pakistan (S), England (R): 5-4-3
Sri Lanka: Afghanistan (M), Pak (S), South Africa (R): 5-4-3
Bangladesh: West Indies (M), Zimbabwe (S), Afghanistan (R): 5-4-3
Afghanistan: Sri Lanka (M), Ireland (S), Bangladesh (R): 5-4-3
Ireland: Afghanistan (S), Zimbabwe (S): 4-4
Zimbabwe: Ireland (S), Bangladesh (S): 4-4

The Conclusion:

Let’s face it, with the advent of the Big 3, Test cricket and viewership in England, Australia, and India are alive and inter-rivalries kept intact. The idea is that instead of scrapping the Ashes, we keep the traditional rivalries alive and encourage new ones, especially for lower-ranked teams. This will have profound impact.

More spectators will fill the stadium (presuming cricket will be resumed everywhere), neutral viewers will tune in on these matches, and a competitiveness will rise within new rivals. When teams like West Indies and Sri Lanka play marquee series against Bangladesh and Afghanistan, this provides newer teams the chance to elevate their game. Hence, the distribution of these marquee series will have broad implications and improve the overall quality of the World Test Championship.

Do you think this is a viable option? What are some of your opinions on how to improve the World Test Championship? Please comment below and let us know!

That’s all for now! Continue reading ahead for Part II of the series, World Test Championship: How Can The Points Table Be Improved.