But first, a review of the season.
BBL08 was, at best, a plateau for the golden goose of Australian cricket. And at worst, the competition jumped the shark.
Everything prophesied in the BBL07 Best XI introductory spiel has come to pass...
Expansion from 10 to 14 games each, with still very limited availability of Australia's best players, hit the tournament hard. Too many games, over too long a season, affected both crowds and match quality. Cricket Australia has announced they will address the tournament length, but not the number of matches played. There is no word on scheduling to include more of the Australian players.
An even bigger problem than the absence of Australian stars was the absence of international stars. Part of the appeal of T20 leagues is that they are more star-studded than normal domestic cricket competitions. Yet in this regard the BBL has gone backwards. The competition either can't, or won't, compete with the economic power of the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL).
The BPL is stacked with former BBL players - West Indians Chris Gayle, Pollard, Narine, Russell and Brathwaite, Englishmen Hales, Roy, Bell and Bopara, Pakistan's Shoaib Malik, South African Cameron Delport, Sri Lankan Lasith Malinga, and most curiously, the suspended ball-tamperers Steve Smith and David Warner. They were banned from BBL, yet allowed to play for a rival competition staged at the same time.
Most of the guys named above would improve any BBL team. So would AB De Villiers, arguably the best T20 batsmen in the world, who was busy in BPL instead. Nepal's teenage leg-spinner Lamichhane did walk into the Melbourne Stars team, then walked back out to join the Sylhet Sixers mid-season.
All this obviously created issues with player depth again, especially in batting, which is a problem for Australian cricket generally. Run rates were the second lowest ever (only BBL02 had slower scoring) and no team managed to score 200 runs in an innings.
So, Cricket Australia need to develop a schedule where Australian internationals can play more, while reducing the tournament length, and also attract better imports.
Meanwhile, I needed to pick a team from this entertaining mess. The team that follows is selected before the semi-finals, so only regular season performances count. I have also limited myself to two imports, as per competition rules, and as per the previous editions.
Here is the BBL08 BEST XI (in batting order):
The BPL is stacked with former BBL players - West Indians Chris Gayle, Pollard, Narine, Russell and Brathwaite, Englishmen Hales, Roy, Bell and Bopara, Pakistan's Shoaib Malik, South African Cameron Delport, Sri Lankan Lasith Malinga, and most curiously, the suspended ball-tamperers Steve Smith and David Warner. They were banned from BBL, yet allowed to play for a rival competition staged at the same time.
Most of the guys named above would improve any BBL team. So would AB De Villiers, arguably the best T20 batsmen in the world, who was busy in BPL instead. Nepal's teenage leg-spinner Lamichhane did walk into the Melbourne Stars team, then walked back out to join the Sylhet Sixers mid-season.
All this obviously created issues with player depth again, especially in batting, which is a problem for Australian cricket generally. Run rates were the second lowest ever (only BBL02 had slower scoring) and no team managed to score 200 runs in an innings.
So, Cricket Australia need to develop a schedule where Australian internationals can play more, while reducing the tournament length, and also attract better imports.
Meanwhile, I needed to pick a team from this entertaining mess. The team that follows is selected before the semi-finals, so only regular season performances count. I have also limited myself to two imports, as per competition rules, and as per the previous editions.
Here is the BBL08 BEST XI (in batting order):
D'Arcy Short (Hobart Hurricanes)
Matthew Wade (Hobart Hurricanes)
While the Brisbane Heat pair of Ben Cutting and Max Bryant stole the show at the end, Short and Wade were so far ahead of the competition across the tournament it's not funny.
Hobart's opening pair were top two run scorers (Short - 602, Wade - 590) and had 12 half-centuries between them - that's six each, which is two more than anyone else. It was the second year running Short has topped the runs tally (and made this team). Wade had the equal most sixes (21), one more than Short (20), who had the most fours (61), ahead of Wade (48).
It would be impressive if they only batted, but Wade is also the captain and wicketkeeper of the BBL's best team, and Short took 10 wickets with his left-arm wrist spin.
Hobart's opening pair were top two run scorers (Short - 602, Wade - 590) and had 12 half-centuries between them - that's six each, which is two more than anyone else. It was the second year running Short has topped the runs tally (and made this team). Wade had the equal most sixes (21), one more than Short (20), who had the most fours (61), ahead of Wade (48).
It would be impressive if they only batted, but Wade is also the captain and wicketkeeper of the BBL's best team, and Short took 10 wickets with his left-arm wrist spin.
Marcus Stoinis (Melbourne Stars)
Stoinis is arguably player of the tournament. He finished third on the run tally with 476 runs, even after missing three matches due to national selection, and took 14 wickets at the best strike rate (10.2) and second best average (14.07) amongst regular bowlers.
Chris Lynn (Brisbane Heat)
It feels like Lynnsanity has been poor this season, nowhere neat the heights that saw him make this team in BBL05 and BBL06, and earn millions in the IPL auction. But he's still 5th on most runs scored, and equal first in hits over the boundary rope. His strike rate has fallen dramatically though, down at only 126.2.
Callum Ferguson (Sydney Thunder)
The Thunder veteran was a steady presence for his team, and his innings of 113* (from only 53 balls) was the highest score of the season.
The Thunder veteran was a steady presence for his team, and his innings of 113* (from only 53 balls) was the highest score of the season.
George Bailey (Hobart Hurricanes)
Bailey is the best finisher in this tournament. His 326 runs included three fifties, four not-outs, and a strike rate of 153.8 that was second highest among regularly selected batsmen.
Tom Curran (Sydney Sixers)
The English left-arm quick took 20 wickets at a 7.65 economy rate, which is good considering he generally bowled at the start and end of an innings. Curran also made 185 runs at an above average 144.5 strike rate. That's a very good return on both sides of the game.
Cameron Boyce (Melbourne Renegades)
A leg-spinner with the best economy rate (6.23) amongst Australian bowlers, but as well as 12 cheap wickets, Boyce also became a shock pinch hitter. The high was hitting 51 off 22 balls in a game where everyone else was struggling to hit at a run per ball, and across the season over half his 135 runs were made in sixes.
Rashid Khan (Adelaide Strikers)
Khan is probably the best T20 bowler in the world, and somehow wasn't playing in Bangladesh. He took 19 wickets - the equal most for a spinner in the tournament - at the second best economy rate (6.14). Khan also showed some hitting talent, with just 93 runs, but a huge strike rate of 166.1. He backed up his brilliant last season, even if the Strikers didn't reach the same heights.
Khan is probably the best T20 bowler in the world, and somehow wasn't playing in Bangladesh. He took 19 wickets - the equal most for a spinner in the tournament - at the second best economy rate (6.14). Khan also showed some hitting talent, with just 93 runs, but a huge strike rate of 166.1. He backed up his brilliant last season, even if the Strikers didn't reach the same heights.
Kane Richardson (Melbourne Renegades)
The leading wicket taker with 24 wickets, and he missed two matches! That's two wickets per game, or one every 11.7 balls.
Jason Behrendorff (Perth Scorchers)
Behrendorff appeared in the BBL05 Best XI, and has mostly been injured since. But when fit, he is possibly the best T20 bowler in Australia. This year he took only 9 wickets in 11 games, but his economy rate of 6.24 runs per over was easily the best for a quick bowler.
12th man: Dan Christian (Melbourne Renegades)
Christian is seriously underrated. 185 runs including one match-winning innings of 49*, 13 wickets at a very good 7.05 economy rate, and 13 catches. Like last year, when he made this side, I think he would probably be in the national T20 team off any of the selectors understood the shortest version of the game.
12th man: Dan Christian (Melbourne Renegades)
Christian is seriously underrated. 185 runs including one match-winning innings of 49*, 13 wickets at a very good 7.05 economy rate, and 13 catches. Like last year, when he made this side, I think he would probably be in the national T20 team off any of the selectors understood the shortest version of the game.
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