Quinton de Kock set to make Big Bash League debut
Sep 03, 2023
Melbourne [Australia], September 3 : South African wicketkeeper-batter Quinton de Kock is all set to make his Big Bash League (BBL) after being selected by one-time champion Melbourne Renegades during the overseas draft while the rival team Melbourne Stars took England's rising star Harry Brook as well, but not before trying to take Afghanistan star Rashid Khan from Adelaide Strikers.
As per ESPNCricinfo, the second edition of BBL's overseas draft saw teams filling the spots according to tactical needs and taking some regulars from other clubs.
Brook and Zak Crawley, who both starred for England in a 2-2 Ashes draw at home, will be making their BBL return, but not with their previous team Hobart Hurricanes, with Crawley going to Perth Scorchers. Both teams will not be playing in the later stages of the tournament due to England's tour of India for a Test series.
Renegades were able to get De Kock at pick four, having gone in the draft without a wicketkeeper in their list. He is listed to be available from December 10 to January 5, during which Perth's seven of the first eight games will happen. But de Kock's availability also coincides with South Africa's white-ball series scheduled against India from December 10-21. Renegades also picked Mujeeb Ur Rahman and got him back for a second year running.
Stars selected Rashid with their first pick, this time the first of the draft, for the second year running but Strikers were having none of it, immediately activating their retention to keep the star legspinner in Adelaide. Strikers also took men's Hundred player of the tournament Jamie Overton in one of the biggest coups of the night and he is likely to be fully available for the 10 home and away matches to add a quality allrounder that they were missing.
After missing out on Rashid, Stars picked Brook despite missing a high-class spinner. They had gone into the draft without even a domestic spinner in their list after their star Adam Zampa was traded to rival team Renegades. They made it up for later in the draft, not only picking up Pakistan's star pacer Haris Rauf but also his compatriot and spinner Usama Mir.
Crawley could have been retained by Hurricanes but he slipped all the way to pick 16 and Scorchers made a decision to take him, after not expecting him to slip that far.
Hurricanes needed a bowling all-rounder. Sydney Sixers had the right to retain both Tom Curran and Chris Jordan but could take only one of them. Hurricanes took Curran with pick three, filling their gap of bowling all-rounder and Sixers retained them immediately. Hurricanes then took Jordan and then middle-order batter Sam Hain who was not retained by Brisbane Heat. Hurricanes later added another all-rounder Corey Anderson to their roster.
Heat secured the services of England wicketkeeper Sam Billings and New Zealand's Colin Munro and got last year's high-profile overseas stars back in their team. The move was made to make up for the absence of Australian international stars Usman Khawaja and Marnus Labuschagne, who will be on international duty. Heat also included England all-rounder Paul Walter.
Sixers had a nervous wait till pick 14 to see if James Vince would be taken by another club. They had used their retention pick on Curran, but also managed to keep Vince. They later added England's young leg-spinner Rehan Ahmed in the draft's last round.
Sydney Thunder took Alex Hales in the first round and later picked up a surprise in the form of Pakistani pacer Zaman Khan.
-How the draft played out
Melbourne Stars: Harry Brook, Haris Rauf, Usama Mir
Adelaide Strikers: Rashid Khan (retained), Jamie Overton, Adam Hose
Hobart Hurricanes: Chris Jordan, Sam Hain, Corey Anderson
Melbourne Renegades: Quinton de Kock, Mujeeb Ur Rahman
Sydney Thunder: Alex Hales, Zaman Khan
Sydney Sixers: Tom Curran (retained), James Vince, Rehan Ahmed
Brisbane Heat: Colin Munro, Sam Billings, Paul Walter
Perth Scorchers: Zak Crawley, Laurie Evans.