(Web Desk) - Melbourne Stars and Sydney Thunder finally found KFC Big Bash League (BBL|13) replacements for three Pakistani players departing for national duties.
The Melbourne Stars and Sydney Thunder find themselves adjusting their KFC Big Bash League (BBL|13) line-ups as three key players depart for national duties. Haris Rauf and Usama Mir from the Melbourne Stars, along with Zaman Khan from the Sydney Thunder, represented Pakistan in the five-match T20 tour in New Zealand in January.
The departure of Rauf, Usama, and Zaman was anticipated, as their No Objection Certificates (NOC) from the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) expired. The trio began their journey in Sydney to prepare for Pakistan's New Zealand tour, which kicked off in Auckland on January 12, 2024. The team spokesperson mentioned that the trio practised with the national team before the T20 match.
The Melbourne Stars have secured the English batter Dan Lawrence, who played four games for Brisbane Heat in BBL|10. Lawrence, a former England Test player, is listed as a Stars member for the remainder of the BBL|13 season.
Tom Kohler-Cadmore, another English batter, also joined the Sydney Thunder for the rest of the home-and-away campaign before heading to the UAE to play for the Sharjah Warriors in the T20 league.
Both Lawrence and Kohler-Cadmore were not initially selected in the BBL|13 Draft but then got enlisted as overseas replacement players. The BBL rules allow each team to sign up to seven overseas players throughout the season, although only three can be on the primary 18-player list at any given time.
Stars’ trajectory
In the absence of these international players Rauf and Usama, Melbourne Stars captain Glenn Maxwell expressed confidence in the team's domestic talent.
"We'll back our domestic depth, I feel like we've got some guys waiting on the sidelines ready to go," Maxwell said. He also hinted at the possible return of Nathan Coulter-Nile, currently recovering from a calf injury.
"They're really ready to have another crack and it sounds like Coulter-Nile is not far away as well, so that'll be a boost for the back end of the tournament,” Maxwell added.
The captain said that the Stars were going in the right trajectory. "Things are trending the right way. We're starting to get some rewards, we haven't really seen that over the last few years,” he said. "It's massive for this group. It felt like we were doing a lot of right things but falling short in a few little areas, which cost us big time in the first couple of games this season."
The departing Pakistani players, Rauf, Usama, and Zaman, made notable contributions during their time in BBL|13. Rauf claimed six wickets from four games, Usama took five wickets in five games, and Zaman impressed with his unique yorkers, securing eight wickets in four games.
Chief selector Wahab Riaz remarked that the selected national team “is the best pool of players,” saying that he wanted to explore Pakistan’s new talent.
The Stars and Thunder relied on Lawrence and Kohler-Cadmore to step up and make an impact as they continue their campaigns in the highly competitive BBL|13. If you’re curious about BBL predictions, check out its simulated reality here: Sports chance website