One of the best parts of the Big Bash League is the development of young players, and the emergence of international stars right in front of our eyes.

This season looms as no different, with 12 new faces joining the ranks looking to establish their legacies in T20 cricket.

You may have heard of some of them while others are relative newcomers outside of their own local conditions, so we’ve decided to provide a little glimpse into what these new players will offer their respective teams.

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George Garton (Adelaide Strikers)

Garton joins the Strikers as a left-handed, like-for-like replacement for Michael Neser. Playing a similar role as a brutish batter at 7 or 8, with a bowling style that aims to hit the bat hard, albeit in a more skiddy manner than the Ashes squad member.

The 24-year-old has progressed strongly for Sussex in England’s T20 blast competition over the past two seasons, with 25 wickets at 16.2 and an economy of 7.5 in 18 matches. 

With 197 runs at an average of 28.1 at a strong strike rate, Garton looms as a difference-making all-rounder this season for Adelaide as he looks to make a name for himself on an international stage. 

Tom Abell (Brisbane Heat)

Joining the Heat after the first couple of games in BBL|11, Abell’s the most in-form international inclusion this year, with 299 runs at 74.8 in his last 6 T20 innings.

Another English import from Somerset for the Heat, Abell is an excellent batter to come in after the initial powerplay, providing much needed stability to the Heat’s middle order with a fantastic record matched by his unorthodox, aggressive technique.

In the English T20 competition, the 27-year-old has averaged 35.78 at a strike rate of 149.11, an incredibly strong record worthy of this opportunity in the BBL.

Expect Brisbane to rely heavily on their new, exciting recruit, while fans will be genuinely excited by the innovation showcased by Abell throughout the summer months.

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Ben Duckett (Brisbane Heat)

Duckett has worked hard to try and reshape public perception after his off-field issues as part of the touring Ashes squad in 2017/18 and becoming a top-order player has helped improve the consistency of his batting.

One viewing of a Ben Duckett innings would suggest that he’s a Brisbane Heat player through and through – he has a tendency to be wild and ill-disciplined at the crease but in recent seasons, he has tightened it up and proven to be the type of player that sets the tone for his team.

Averaging 29 in The Hundred which continued on from an average of 40 over his last two T20 Blast seasons, Duckett only adds to the fireworks we can expect to see in the Heat’s batting order.

It’s also helpful for the Heat to add another left-hander in the top-order, giving them another point-of-difference alongside the busy Sam Heazlett.

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Harry Brook (Hobart Hurricanes)

In terms of young international stars making a name for themselves in the BBL, look no further than the relatively unknown Harry Brook, who could well book himself a spot in the English T20 squad by the end of the tournament.

A middle-order player with a one of the most well-rounded batting games in world cricket, Brooks has already taking his home tournament by storm, dominating in The Hundred for the Northern Superchargers and owning an overall T20 record of 1231 runs at an average of 39.7, with a career strike rate of 148.31.

The Hurricanes have flown a little under the radar with only a couple of big names, but Brook’s exploits throughout the middle overs and in the power surge could make this team one of the more dangerous outfits in the competition.

Jordan Thompson (Hobart Hurricanes)

Usually, clubs look at bringing in established international stars if they’re simply looking for impact players but the Hurricanes have opted to sign Jordan Thompson, who is the cricketing definition of “jack of all trades, master of none”.

For Australian fans, perhaps the best comparison is a developing version of Ben Cutting, as Thompson is likely to come in at the back end of an innings and use his incredible strength to clear the boundary.

Bowling-wise, the Hurricanes would be struggling to use Thompson for all 4 overs, as his career economy-rate sits at 9.2. 

The 25-year-old will play every game he’s available for, but is unlikely to be heavily relied upon.

Unmukt Chand (Melbourne Renegades)

Chand made history as the first Indian player to sign for a BBL franchise, having separated himself for Indian cricket and spent the last 18 months playing in the United States.

Highly-rated at a young age, Chand is a versatile batter in the top order who never quite took off in the IPL or in first class cricket, but showed his class with a strong 43 in the preseason for the Renegades and is passionate about joining the team.

There will be plenty of opportunities for the 28-year-old to show what he can do for the lowly-rated Renegades and if he can provide a sense of stability atop the batting order, Chand has a future in the BBL.

With 9 50s and a century in 22 innings for India A in one-day cricket early in his career, the talent is there.

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Reece Topley (Melbourne Renegades)

Topley will be using his opportunities at the Renegades to establish himself in the English squad, having played an ODI against India in March.

The injury-prone left-armer has had a stop-start career, but will look at the development of his off-pace deliveries on the Marvel Stadium pitch as his way to reaching greener pastures.

With 32 wickets at a strike rate of 13.94 in the last two seasons of T20 cricket, the Renegades will desperately hope that reality matches their expectations for Topley.

Joe Clarke (Melbourne Stars)

We saw 3 matches of Clarke for the Scorchers last season, but it didn’t give us a true reflection of how classy and talented the 25-year-old truly is.

The preferred opening partner for Marcus Stoinis this season at the Stars, Clarke is known for his reading of the game and ability to take the game on in a traditional manner, rather than using brute force to bludgeon an opposition attack.

Clarke has already managed 3 T20 centuries and operates at an incredible strike rate of 155.62, it’s just a matter of time before it all comes together in Australian conditions.

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Syed Faridoun (Melbourne Stars)

Faridoun enters the BBL as almost a complete unknown, the third player out of the Lahore Qalandars talent identification program in the Pakistan Super League.

With an unusual bowling action bowling his left-arm leg spin, there are extremely high hopes within the Stars and indeed Pakistan setups that Faridoun can develop into a special player that impacts T20 cricket all over the globe.

A tough debut with good signs of encouragement, the Melbourne Stars have adopted a spin-to-win approach and it opens the door for us to see more of Faridoun.

Laurie Evans (Perth Scorchers)

The Scorchers identified the need for a reliable finisher and have found one in the form of 34-year-old Laurie Evans, who has made a name himself later in his career.

In the Lanka Premier League, Evans scored 289 runs at 57.8 with a strike rate of 170, while over the last 2 seasons in the T20 Blast, Evans has 784 runs at 34.09 with 7 50s in the middle order.

There is an element of versatility with Evans’ game, which may be needed with depth being tested at the Scorchers, but a more natural fit would be at 5 or 6 in a rotation with new skipper Ashton Turner.

Evans has taken while to get going in his career but the Scorchers are generally good with their international picks.

Tymal Mills (Perth Scorchers)

We’ve seen Mills in 12 matches in the BBL for the Heat and the Hurricanes and at both teams, he found himself on the outer.

Truthfully, Mills has been poor in international competitions and the hope here for the Scorchers will be that they maintain their home fixtures and that it’s a pacy wicket for Mills to find form.

In 12 BBL matches, the 29-year-old has 9 wickets at 48.77 with an economy rate of 9.14.

For Perth’s sake, they’ll hope better form in England across T20s and The Hundred will carry forward here.

Jordan Cox (Hobart)

A late-call up to cover the initial absence of Harry Brook, Cox is an exciting, albeit inexperienced young English prospect that helps tidy up the late-over hitting of the Hurricanes.

His most recent innings, a swashbuckling 58* off just 28 balls for Kent assisted Cox in carrying over some strong under-19s international form that helped him make a name for himself in the first place.

With 500 runs at an average of 33.33, with 3 50s in 24 innings, the 21-year-old has shown that his future as a finisher is extremely bright if he can maintain the level of consistency he currently displays in his game.

The Hurricanes clearly have a couple of key absences to start the tournament in the batting order, which means we get to see the stylish Cox manipulate the field and intelligently find the boundary consistently.

Tom Lammonby (Hobart)

The other late replacement for the Hurricanes, 21-year-old Tom Lammonby is an exciting batting all-rounder with raw talents that are particularly malleable early on in his career.

In his first 29 games for Somerset in the T20 Blast, Lammonby has averaged 25.17 with the bat at a strike rate of 160.9, while his left-arm medium pace can be used for impact at certain times.

While we mightn’t see much of him this tournament, Lammonby is definitely one to watch for the future in the world of T20 cricket, as a versatile batter who can adapt to multiple situations, while being an impact bowler when necessary.

Saqib Mahmood (Sydney Thunder)

Saqib Mahmood made a name for himself earlier this year when England had to put together a squad of random players to play against Pakistan, dominating the ODI series with genuine pace and movement.

The way Mahmood bowls can be hit-or-miss, striving for the extra yard of pace sometimes means he leaks easy runs, but the 25-year-old is a strong recruit for a Thunder team that looks to strike with x-factor.

Mahmood’s short T20 career to date has been pretty good, averaging a wicket every 15 balls and often breaking partnerships at key moments.

With plenty of English reinforcements joining the BBL this season with The Ashes being held in Australia, Mahmood leads the pack in terms of looking to dominate early and squeeze his way into the vision of the selectors.

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