3 big overseas signings who will make their debut in BBL 2024-25 ft. Finn Allen
The Big Bash League (BBL) is fighting for relevance amid the rapid growth of T20 and T10 leagues around the world but you can't accuse Cricket Australia (CA) of not fighting hard enough.
Even as the Women's Big Bash League has shown signs of betterment, the men's competition is trying to find its way through a host of issues. It has lost its biggest overseas star Rashid Khan, probably because CA angered him by bailing out of bilateral matches against Afghanistan. The local stars hardly turn up for the entire season and the remainder are often unavailable for crucial games.
The only way to get out of this mess is to stride forward and show more ambition to pull crowds to the grounds. They have done the first step right -- by making sure new big names -- not just great players, but players with a proven ability to make headlines around the world -- are on the first roster.
After the latest confirmed list of players for BBL 2024, three pre-Draft overseas signings will play in the tournament for the first time. Check them out here:
#3 Ollie Pope
England's Test vice-captain Ollie Pope signed for the Adelaide Strikers for his first season in the BBL -- a decision that was announced after a great day in the field during his first Test as a stand-in captain of the national team. If it is a coincidence, it's a great one.
It's a brilliant signing for both parties. For Pope, it'd be some more experience of Australian conditions ahead of the Ashes next summer where he'd be expected to play a key part for England.
Pope didn't have a great season at The Hundred but strikes at 133 in T20s, can keep wickets and has a spin-friendly technique that would suit the conditions in Adelaide. He'll also fit in like a glove in a team of hard-hitters who can do with a versatile player with leadership qualities after finishing fourth last season.
"Ollie Pope is an exceptional talent with a proven track record at the highest level," Strikers' new coach Tim Paine said in a statement. "His dynamic batting style and wicket-keeping abilities are a fantastic addition to our squad. We're thrilled to have him on board and believe he will be a key player for us this season. His experience and leadership will undoubtedly elevate our team."
Paine might see a bit of himself in Pope, which shouldn't be a bad thing because the Englishman might prove to be a great long-term asset.
#2 Tim Seifert
Speaking of dynamic wicketkeepers, Melbourne Renegades have made a big scoop by signing one of the best in the world, Tim Seifert.
That praise doesn't seem apt for him because you don't see him so much in the IPL and ICC tournaments but if following his record around the world, in the Lanka Premier League, in the Caribbean Premier League, and so on, and how consistently he has performed all around the world, makes one realize just how good a player he is.
Wherever he goes, Seifert becomes the main man in the middle-order, thanks to his maturity and ability to drive games single-handedly from one end. He's an exceptionally great player of spin, knows how to rotate the strike and on flat tracks, he can strike at 200+ without using too many deliveries.
Renegades struggled immensely in the last season, finishing second from the bottom. Their ageing top-order of Aaron Finch and Shaun Marsh just didn't support a relatively young middle-order, which, in turn, seemed over-reliant on Jake Fraser-McGurk.
New Zealander Seifert would be a great number three, allowing Fraser-McGurk to go at the top. He might just be the man to make them competitive again, while also making his case for being one of the best franchise T20 players in the world.
#1 Finn Allen
Perhaps the most high-profile signing ahead of the Draft on September 1 is Finn Allen, who'll join an already super-strong Perth Scorchers as they aim for unprecedented glory in the competition.
The New Zealand opener turned down a central contract after the Scorchers' interest became clear and would skip a bilateral series to be available for his first BBL season. The Scorchers' fans, who saw their team win back-to-back titles and reach the playoffs in the last edition despite being injury-ridden, would be partly overjoyed and partly relieved with his arrival.
Overjoyed because hitting it hard and long is a big part of their identity and no one does that better than Finn Allen in the world right now, with his T20 strike rate of over 168 the best in the world for any top-order batter with more than 3,000 runs.
And relieved because the Scorchers needed an opener like that after mostly unsuccessful attempts with Zak Crawley and Cooper Connelly in that position plus due to uncertainty around star player Laurie Evans' participation in the tournament.
If Allen clicks like only he can in this format, the BBL won't need too many more crowd-pullers.