BBL: Zampa, Stoinis, Boult key for stars in Maxwell's absence
Adam Zampa will be Star's captain, with Glenn Maxwell likely to be absent for the entire BBL
Cricket PassionEditor
Posted - 2022-12-12T13:16:03+06:00
Updated - 2022-12-12T13:16:03+06:00
The Stars had a very productive draft and didn't lose any of the players who originally drafted them. They secured one of the biggest names available at Trent Boult after placing a bid for Rashid Khan.
Stars were hit by Covid more than any other team last season. They were knocked out by 61 points against the Sydney Sixers on opening night of the season, but the worst was yet to come.
Their season was completely derailed when almost the entire squad and coaching staff fell ill with Covid-19 at the same time. They were forced to field a team consisting almost entirely of ring-ins against Perth Scorchers just after the New Year, also requiring a replacement coaching staff after David Hussey and his colleagues were also forced into quarantine.
They lost back-to-back games to the Scorchers and Melbourne Renegades, who only won three games for the season, all but ending their Finals hopes. They fielded 26 players for the season, including a variety of players plucked from the Grad Cricket at short notice. They're hoping for a full reset this year.
They then retained Joe Clarke, who had an excellent season for them last year. Clarke will likely be available for the full season, giving them a much-needed wicketkeeping option as they don't have another specialist goaltender in the squad. They added another skilled left arm with vast T20 experience in Luke Wood. The Lancashire and Trent Rockets left-arm sailor was part of England's World Cup-winning squad but did not compete in the tournament. Shortly after the World Cup, he made his ODI debut against Australia in Adelaide.
International Impact
The Stars have no players on international duty apart from their biggest Superstar and long-time captain Glenn Maxwell, who will miss the full season after breaking his leg in November. Boult is available for Stars' first eight games. The last game he is available for is on January 6th against the Sydney Sixers. Wood and Clarke are available for the entire season. Australia has no limited commitments during the BBL with Zampa and Stoinis available all season.
key Players
Marcus Stoinis is the most important player for Stars this season. He only played eight games last summer due to a combination of Covid and a side strain he suffered at the 2021 T20 World Cup. The last time Stars reached the finals in 2019-20, Stoinis set a BBL record 705 runs in 17 games with a hundred and six and a half centuries. He has only surpassed 50 three times in two seasons, despite taking his game to another level in T20 international cricket. Maxwell's injury also means the Stars lose a valuable bowling option batting inside the top six, changing the balance of the team. Stoinis' bowling experience is needed in all three phases.
There aren't many young players who stand out as potential starters on the Stars list, but one player to keep an eye on could be Campbell Kellaway. The 20-year-old just made 81 in his second Sheffield Shield game for Victoria and followed that up with an unbeaten century for Cricket Australia XI against a South Africa Test attack. He doesn't have much T20 experience, even at Premier cricket level for his club side Melbourne, but he batted 72 from 49 in a Premier T20 game for Victoria last summer. Stars also don't have many lefties in their batting team. He's someone who could be given a chance.
Squad
Trent Boult (New Zealand), Joe Burns, Hilton Cartwright, Joe Clarke (England), Brody Couch, Nathan Coulter-Nile, Sam Elliott, Liam Hatcher, Clint Hinchliffe, Campbell Kellaway, Nick Larkin, Glenn Maxwell, Cam McClure, Tom O'Connell, Tom Rogers, Marcus Stoinis, Beau Webster, Luke Wood (England), Adam Zampa.