Aaron Finch joined The Surge podcast to share his thoughts on every club’s draft selections
Having played 107 BBL matches, it’s fair to say Aaron Finch knows a thing or two about what it takes to be a proven BBL performer. The former Australian T20I captain turned broadcaster joined The Surge, Big Bash Podcast to dissect the BBL|15 Draft.
Here’s what the Melbourne Renegades’ most-capped player said about your club’s prized selections.
For a full recap of the BBL|15 Draft, listen or watch the latest episode of The Surge featuring Aaron Finch and the No.1 pick, Shaheen Afridi.
Pick 1: Shaheen Afridi (platinum)
Pick 9: Colin Munro (platinum)
Pick 25: Tom Alsop (bronze)
“Great acquisition to get Shaheen, but my only question is how do they all then fit into that playing XI? You’ve got Neser who loves bowling with the new ball, he’s successful with the new ball. So is Shaheen Afridi, so is Spencer Johnson, so is Xavier Bartlett. So they’ve got four genuine brand new ball bowlers there… how they fit that together will be fascinating.”
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Pick 2: Haris Rauf – retained (platinum)
Pick 9: Tom Curran (platinum)
Pick 18: Joe Clarke (silver)
“Joe Clarke, he’s a damaging player towards the top of the order. Haris Rauf, I think that’s a no brainer. I think that he loves playing for the Melbourne Stars, (and) they love having him. You need a wicket-taker either through the middle or towards the back end… I was surprised that they didn’t go for a world-class spinner… I think spin is so important at the MCG with the big, square boundaries… there’s nothing quite like a mystery spinner on a big ground.”
Pick 3: Luke Wood (platinum)
Pick 10: Jamie Overton (platinum)
Pick 23: Hassan Ali (gold)
“They had a lot of their eggs in the Shaheen basket. They had a feeling that he was nominating… they were hoping for that left-arm quick, and they went for the second-best option. I was chatting to Tim Paine yesterday and he said that they need that as a part of their attack… I wasn’t surprised that he (Luke Wood) went high up in the first round, because I think that when you’ve got an asset like that, you have to get it early.”
Pick 4: Mohammad Rizwan (platinum)
Pick 11: Hassan Khan (gold)
Pick 22: Tim Seifert (gold)
“You’re bringing in a really consistent performer (Mohammad Rizwan), who you know won’t be overawed being in the competition for his first time. You’re bringing in someone who you know is a very, very good player of spin, so then that gives you some more flexibility as well… it makes them a much less one-dimensional batting style.
Pick 5: Finn Allen (platinum)
Pick 17: Laurie Evans (silver)
Pick 28: David Payne (bronze)
“There’s not many players, international players, who go to the Perth Scorchers and are successful in their first year… Finn Allen will come back this year a totally different player… I do like that selection (Laurie Evans), because they love going with what they know. They’re a team, and they’re a state, they keep going back to the well of what’s worked for them.”
"Finn Allen will come back this year a totally different player."
Aaron Finch joined us on #TheSurge to review the #BBL15 Draft: https://t.co/kV6WYgm2S4 pic.twitter.com/s0ihfSHIf1
Pick 6: Chris Jordan (platinum)
Pick 13: Rishad Hossain (gold)
Pick 29: Rehan Ahmed (bronze)
“Rishad Hossain, he’s a very, very good leg-spinner. Bangladeshi who gives it a rip… very different to most modern leg-spinners in T20 cricket. He tosses it up. If he’s under pressure, he goes slower… you think Rashid Khan fast through the air, accurate (and) at the stumps all the time. These guys are different. Rishad Hossain, he’ll toss it up, he’ll make you try and make all the pace… had a great T20 World Cup in the Caribbean… he’s a very good bowler and Ricky Ponting speaks very, very highly of him as well.”
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Pick 7: Sam Curran (platinum)
Pick 14: Babar Azam (platinum)
Pick 30: Jafer Chohan (bronze)
“The SCG is not the easiest place to bat, but you’ve got (Babar Azam)… as high a skilled player as you’ll see. That’s a good recipe, the longer you bat, the easier it gets. Wonderful player. Can’t wait to watch him bat… he just loves the big moment, Sam (Curran). Whether it’s IPL, The Hundred, playing for Surrey, he’ll be a brilliant addition to the competition.”
"The most beautiful batter in the world." 🇵🇰
Babar Azam and Steve Smith batting together will be 'extraordinary' viewing this summer! #BBL15 #TheSurge pic.twitter.com/lOIbAAK1w4
Pick 8: Lockie Ferguson (platinum)
Pick 12: Shadab Khan (gold)
Pick 21: Sam Billings (gold)
“Lockie Ferguson is a player who gets wickets wherever he plays around the world… the way that he bowls, regardless of what the surface is like, no two balls will be the same pace… very good signing. Shadab (Khan) will love playing out there (ENGIE Stadium). He’s got the laps and the scoops, as well as the power down the ground. The conditions suit him in both regards. He can use them with the bat, and he can use them even more effectively with the ball.”
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