Right, finally had a chance to have a decent look at the current squads and done some scouting... Immediate first thoughts:
* Scoring changes probably disadvantage anchor openers (Hughes types) and perhaps also Chris Green / Rashid type allrounders (unless the top order really has folded above them). Part time bowlers also get the shaft (Renshaw/Cooper) if they don't make three overs. Specialists seem to be be favoured, although of course if somebody can genuinely contribute in both roles they are at an absolute premium. Considering that, and the draw, Dan Christian is my first picked this year.
* Since the last three rounds are all no-DGR no-bye rounds, the tendency is probably more towards trying to make a "complete" team by round 11, and therefore cash generation is probably more important than previous years. So I'm looking a lot at cut-price options with a clear role - and unfortunately a lot of the internationals are overpriced compared to last year (remember being able to get Morris for 125k?). And there's also the old English batsmen problem to consider - a lot of the young stars coming over this year are new to the T20 circuit and how they will perform in Australia is a big unknown. It took Hales, what, four seasons to get it right?
So here's where I've landed so far:
WKP: Dunk / Philippe
BAT: Stoinis, Maxwell, Jacks, Clarke, Khawaja / Harris, Turner
BWL: D Short, Zampa, Milne, Christian, A Agar / Wildermuth, Noor
I don't really like the Dunk pick but whatever we all know we're gonna have 15 more iterations before the first match. Turner and Harris in particular are dependent on them actually getting picked, I think Turner is more likely in the early games the way their squad is. Pity Pucovski doesn't look like an option!
The problem, of course, is having no Adelaide players and only 2 Hobart, so maxing out at 5 DGW for round 2. Adelaide in particular are a real problem, the core of their side is all 140k+ (aside from Worrall, who I don't really rate in this format) so to bring any of them in for round 1 donuts would need to be more of a structural change than I'd like. Hobart have the continual issue of what does their order look like - McDermott would otherwise be an appealing option.
Obviously this far out I'm not too bedded into anything but as usual I like the interplay of ideas that goes on here in the early stages. I just have to know which calls to back myself on over the potential for groupthink!
* Scoring changes probably disadvantage anchor openers (Hughes types) and perhaps also Chris Green / Rashid type allrounders (unless the top order really has folded above them). Part time bowlers also get the shaft (Renshaw/Cooper) if they don't make three overs. Specialists seem to be be favoured, although of course if somebody can genuinely contribute in both roles they are at an absolute premium. Considering that, and the draw, Dan Christian is my first picked this year.
* Since the last three rounds are all no-DGR no-bye rounds, the tendency is probably more towards trying to make a "complete" team by round 11, and therefore cash generation is probably more important than previous years. So I'm looking a lot at cut-price options with a clear role - and unfortunately a lot of the internationals are overpriced compared to last year (remember being able to get Morris for 125k?). And there's also the old English batsmen problem to consider - a lot of the young stars coming over this year are new to the T20 circuit and how they will perform in Australia is a big unknown. It took Hales, what, four seasons to get it right?
So here's where I've landed so far:
WKP: Dunk / Philippe
BAT: Stoinis, Maxwell, Jacks, Clarke, Khawaja / Harris, Turner
BWL: D Short, Zampa, Milne, Christian, A Agar / Wildermuth, Noor
I don't really like the Dunk pick but whatever we all know we're gonna have 15 more iterations before the first match. Turner and Harris in particular are dependent on them actually getting picked, I think Turner is more likely in the early games the way their squad is. Pity Pucovski doesn't look like an option!
The problem, of course, is having no Adelaide players and only 2 Hobart, so maxing out at 5 DGW for round 2. Adelaide in particular are a real problem, the core of their side is all 140k+ (aside from Worrall, who I don't really rate in this format) so to bring any of them in for round 1 donuts would need to be more of a structural change than I'd like. Hobart have the continual issue of what does their order look like - McDermott would otherwise be an appealing option.
Obviously this far out I'm not too bedded into anything but as usual I like the interplay of ideas that goes on here in the early stages. I just have to know which calls to back myself on over the potential for groupthink!
