BBL 2020 Team Preview: Sydney look to regain Thunder with talent-laded squad

One of the underachieving sides in Big Bash League (BBL) history, Sydney Thunder do have one title to their name, won in the 2015-16 season. Going into the 10th edition, Thunder have one great advantage over other sides. It is the availability of their top players, both Australian and foreign. 

Usman Khawaja missed out on getting selected for the Australian Test team. This would have been very disappointing for the stylish left-hander but great for his BBL team. Among overseas players also, Thunder have had a big slice of luck with neither Alex Hales nor Sam Billings selected for England's upcoming series. To top it all, New Zealand speedster Adam Milne has chosen to play in BBL instead of his country's domestic tournaments. 

With all of these key names in the squad, the former champions would be optimistic about their chances. They finished third in the last season, a considerable improvement over the sixth position they occupied in the preceding two seasons and the wooden spoon they earned in the edition before that. 

Batting Challenges

Thunder would be led by the highly-experienced Callum Ferguson. A man with some international experience, he would have to provide the solidity that the middle order requires. He has played every season of BBL and has even registered a century - scored in the eighth season. 

Last year, Ferguson was in great form at the start of his team's campaign but then lost his way. His getting runs would be extremely crucial for his team's success this time. Since he is both able to bat long and hit the big shots when necessary, he will be the perfect pivot around which the innings can revolve. 

Equally important would be two other regular members of the side. Alex Hales and Usman Khawaja opened the innings for their team during most of the matches and formed a reasonably good pair. Hales, who has been out of favour with the English team, partly due to on-field performances and partly due to off-field antics, seems to have found his groove in BBL.

Last season, he did a very decent job for his side. A very competent batsman in limited-overs cricket, Hales is a very clean striker of the cricket ball. If it wasn't for his repeated transgressions of England team's rules, he might well have continued to be a member of that country's ODI and T20 team. His batting style is quite suited to Australian conditions as the right-hander enjoys the ball coming on to the bat. 

Khawaja, on the other hand, is one of the most aesthetically pleasing batsmen to watch in the entire world. He is in possession of all the elegance that is associated with left-handers. After making a mark in Test cricket, he was able to prove his credentials in limited-overs formats also last year. 

The Pakistan-born left-hander produced good performances last year for Thunder. The only problem he faces is something all stylish and graceful batsmen have to deal with in T20 cricket. How to adjust their classical stroke-making abilities to a format that requires improvisaton and unorthodox batting. This was a problem that VVS Laxman had to deal with in his brief IPL career. 

Still, Khawaja's talent is good enough to see him through this challenge, as it did last year. He and Hales form a good partnership, not just because of the right hand-left hand combination, but also because of contrasting strokeplay. While Hales prefers to stay on the leg side of the ball, Khawaja's wrists come into play when he bats. 

Apart from this troika, there is another player who can make a big impact. He is Sam Billings of England. A hugely talented youngster, he has been on the fringes of the English team for the last three years and has actually managed to get in and play some good knocks at the international level. 

He represents the new kind of English batsman, someone who is more adept at big hitting and limited-overs cricket than the previous generation. A sweet timer of the ball and well-balanced at the crease, this is a great opportunity for him to make a big statement as the World T20 approaches and English selectors try to finalise their squad in the coming months. 

From the lesser known domestic talents, Alex Ross is a name to take note of. His T20 record, from 65 matches looks very impressive, when put in the context of other players like him. He has scored six half-centuries at this level and has an average of 28.85, better than most other players. With a strike rate of 127.34, he is adept at keeping the run-flow going. His distinguishing feature is the prevalence of sweep shot in his batting. Damien Fleming, commentating on his batting, has even dubbed him the 'sweepologist' - something that would prove useful against spinners. 

Lastly, on has to mention Ben Cutting. Primarily a bowler, the 33-year old is now counted among all-rounders due to his great hitting ability. His strokeplay proved decisive in the final of the 2016 IPL. He was also part of a devastating partnership a couple of seasons ago, where more than 90 runs were added in the first six overs. With such a volatile batting temperament, Cutting can turn the match around with one good cameo. 

Bowling Capability

While Cutting is a spectacular batsman to watch when he is in full flow, as a bowler, he hasn't been the most effective. But he has experience, which may come in handy. In over 150 T20 matches, Cutting has gone for an economy rate of over 9/over. The average is also on the wrong side of 30. In other words, he is not the bowler Thunder would like to rely on in their attempt to stop the opposition. 

For that purpose, the team has roped in New Zealand's genuinely quick bowler Adam Milne. One of the few genuine pacers to have come out of New Zealand in the last decade and a half, Milne could clear the 150 kph barrier when he was bowling at his best. But pace can cut both ways, it could also benefit the batsman if the line and length is wayward. If the Kiwi bowlers gets these right, he will be a handful. 

Though his performance recently against India may not have been that encouraging, Daniel Sams has been very successful in this league. Last year, he was the leading bowler for his team and was very consistent. Surprisingly, against India, he choked in the last over of the innings, failing to defend 14 runs and getting hit for two sixes by Haridik Pandya. However, last year, it was his death bowling which proved to be his strong point. 

His failure against India is not sufficient to write him off as a prospect for Australia. Through the BBL, he can again show how good he is. 

Two other leading bowlers in the seam department are Chris Tremain and Brendon Doggett. Both are decent bowlers without being considered among the best in the business. 

The spin bowling department is where Thunder seem to be lacking. There isn't any established name but Jonathan Cook, a leg-spinner, proved quite handy last season with his leg-breaks. His four-wicket haul in the eliminator final of the 2019-20 season was his best effort and a clue to how good he can be on his day. 

There is another leg-spinner in the squad - Tanveer Sangha. He came into focus as Australian team's leading wicket-taker in this year's Under-19 World Cup. Fans and Australian selectors would love to see him in action. A young leg-spinner is always great to watch. At the same time, leg-spinners can go for runs as well if they get their line and length slightly wrong. At the age of just 18, he would need a lot of support from the team leadership. 

Conclusion

Sydney Thunder would hope to go further than last season. They have the players to shine on the big stage and, unlike other teams, they are available also. This is a golden opportunity for the Sydney-based team to capture their second BBL title. Whether they succeed or not depends a lot on their leadership also. 

Sydney Thunder Squad

Sam Billings, Alex Hales, Usman Khawaja, Callum Ferguson (C), Jason Sangha, Matt Gilkes (Wk), Chris Green, Baxter Holt (Wk), Nathan McAndrew, Oliver Davies, Brendan Doggett, Adam Milne, Arjun Nair, Alex Ross, Daniel Sams, Jonathan Cook, Tanveer Sangha, Ben Cutting, Chris Tremain

Overseas Players: Sam Billings (Eng), Adam Milne (NZ), Alex Hales (Eng)

Coach: Shane Bond

Powered by Froala Editor

Powered by Froala Editor