Big Bash Team-by-Team Guide: Hurricanes gamble on Pakistan power

• Sixers steady and solid

• Shadan could star for HH

• Player availability huge issue

Adelaide Strikers - Strugglers

To win title 15/2
To reach final 7/2
To finish bottom 4/1
Last 2 years 4-5-3
2022 Batting run rate 6
2022 Bowling economy 3

Squad Wes Agar, Cameron Boyce, Alex Carey, Harry Conway, Colin de Grandhomme, Ryan Gibson, Travis Head, Adam Hose, Henry Hunt, Thomas Kelly, Rashid Khan, Chris Lynn, Harry Nielsen, Matt Short, Jake Weatherald, Henry Thornton, Peter Siddle, Ben Manenti

Possible XI Lynn, Short, Weatherald, Hunt, de Grandhomme, Nielsen, Rashid, W Agar, Siddle, Conway, Thornton

*Players in bold may not be available for whole tournament

Verdict It can be easy to dismiss the Strikers because they routinely ignore the importance of batting power. If they would just try to make amends one year they would be a bet. That's because the bowling group is terrific. They are routinely in the top echelon for economy and their bowlers keep them interested to the very last. But with Rashid Khan captaining the Cape Town franchise in the new league which starts January 10, they could fall away badly. The late arrival of Alex Carey and Travis Head may mean they morph from a bowling team to a batting one.

Brisbane Heat - Another tepid show

To win title 10/1
To reach final 9/2
To finish bottom 16/5
Last 2 years 7-4-3
2022 Batting run rate 7
2022 Bowling economy 5

Squad Xavier Bartlett, James Bazley, Sam Billings, Max Bryant, Sam Hain, Sam Heazlett, Usman Khawaja, Matthew Kuhnemann, Marnus Labuschagne, Colin Munro, Michael Neser, Jimmy Peirson, Matthew Renshaw, Mark Steketee, Mitchell Swepson, Ross Whiteley, Jack Wildermuth, Spencer Johnson, Will Prestwidge

Possible XI Bryant, Bartlett, Munro, Billings, Heazlett, Peirson, Bazley, Neser, Swepson, Wildermuth, Steketee

Verdict Heat were, as ever, tepid. There is no evidence in their recruitment that they are suddenly going to hit a hot streak. They have to improve markedly with bat and ball and there are no signings which suggests they will do either. Last season they used 29 players as they desperately tried to find a formula. Colin Munro's signature is temporary as he is signed for the UAE league which starts on January 13. Their best hope is a late charge for the play-offs when Usman Khawaja becomes available.

Hobart Hurricanes - Pakistan powered

To win title 7/2
To reach final 8/5
To finish bottom 12/1
Last 2 years 5-6-4
2022 Batting run rate 5
2022 Bowling economy 7

Squad Asif Ali, Faheem Ashraf, Tim David, Nathan Ellis, Caleb Jewell, Shadab Khan, Ben McDermott, Riley Meredith, Mitch Owen, Joel Paris, Wil Parker, D'Arcy Short, Matthew Wade, Billy Stanlake, Paddy Dooley, Chris Tremain, Mac Wright, Zak Crawley (overseas replacement for Shadab Khan), Jimmy Neesham (overseas replacement)

Possible XI McDermott, Wade, Short, Asif Ali, David, Shadab, Faheem, Parker, Meredith, Ellis, Stanlake

Verdict Hobart disappointed last season when they were expected to mount a serious challenge for their first title. In the end, they did little well. They were despatched at the first hurdle in the eliminator. Recruitment has been good, so long as player availability is good. Shadab Khan, Asif Ali and Faheem Ashraf are terrific pick-ups. But Hurricanes are not sure they will have all three for the duration despite them not being involved in the SA or UAE T20 leagues. Shadab and Faheem could be picked for Pakistan's ODI series v New Zealand from January 13.

Melbourne Renegades - Improvement likely

To win title 11/1
To reach final 13/2
To finish bottom 11/4
Last 2 years 8-8-8
2022 Batting run rate 8
2022 Bowling economy 8

Squad Zak Evans, Aaron Finch, Akeal Hosein, Jake Fraser-McGurk, Sam Harper, Mackenzie Harvey, Nic Maddinson (c), Shaun Marsh, Mujeeb ur Rahman, Kane Richardson, Tom Rogers, Will Sutherland, Jon Wells, Jack Prestwidge, Ruwantha Kellapotha, Marcus Harris, Andre Russell ( first four matches only), Martin Guptill

Possible XI Finch, Guptill, S Marsh, Wells, Maddinson, Harper, Sutherland, Akeal, Mujeeb, Rogers, Richardson

Verdict Renegades have done decent work in the close season, picking up Akeal Hosein, Tom Rogers from Hobart, Mujeen ur Rahman and Adelaide's Jono Wells. Problems persist, though, because Nic Maddinson is skipper and he is not worth his place in the side. They need another bowling option instead. They are also set to lose Akeal and Andre Russell to the UAE league. Will Sutherland would be a better pick than the latter, too. Liam Livingstone isn't turning up at all. The limit of their ambitions might be to not finish bottom.

Melbourne Stars - Maxed out

To win title 6/1
To reach final 13/5
To finish bottom 13/2
Last 2 years 6-7-RU
2022 Batting run rate 4
2022 Bowling economy 6

Squad Trent Boult, Joe Burns, Hilton Cartwright, Joe Clarke, Brody Couch, Nathan Coulter-Nile, Liam Hatcher, Clint Hinchliffe, Nick Larkin, Marcus Stoinis, Beau Webster, Luke Wood, Adam Zampa (c), Campbell Kellaway

Possible XI Stoinis, Kellaway, Larkin, Clarke, Cartwright, Webster, Coulter-Nile, Wood, Boult, Couch, Zampa

Verdict Glenn Maxwell's broken leg is a terrible blow to Stars because he balances the side. Adam Zampa captains in his absence a squad which is at least largely unaffected by comings and goings. Trent Boult is the only listed player expected to jump ship at some point. A settled group should be enough to hold on for a play-off spot although there is a distinct lack of cover if more injuries hit. That probably explains why they are almost the same price to win it as they are to finish last. Brody Couch is a wicket-taker to watch.

Perth Scorchers - Prep in tatters

To win title 9/2
To reach final 2/1
To finish bottom 9/1
Last 2 years W-RU-6
2022 Batting run rate 2
2022 Bowling economy 2

Squad Ashton Agar, Cameron Bancroft, Jason Behrendorff, Cooper Connolly, Adam Lyth, Aaron Hardie, Peter Hatzoglou, Nick Hobson, Josh Inglis, Matthew Kelly, Tymal Mills, Lance Morris, Jhye Richardson, Ashton Turner, Andrew Tye, Faf du Plessis (first seven matches only), Hamish McKenzie, Stephen Eskinazi

Possible XI Inglis, Du Plessis, Lyth, Hobson, Hardie, Turner, Richardson, Tye, Behrendorff, Mills, Hatzoglou

Verdict The champions have a mighty task on their hands to defend their title. They have suffered before a ball has been bowled losing Laurie Evans to a failed drugs test and Phil Salt and Mitch Marsh to injury.. Faf Du Plessis comes in for seven gaes before leaving for the SA league. Adam Lyth has been signed off the back of a terrific Hundred. The spine of a good team remains but there is a lot of pressure on Josh Inglis and Ashton Turner with the bat. Their bowlers will get them out of trouble enough to make the play-offs, however.

Sydney Sixers - the team to beat

To win title 7/2
To reach final 6/4
Last 2 years RU-W-W
2022 Batting run rate 3
2022 Bowling economy 1

Squad Sean Abbott, Jackson Bird, Dan Christian, Ben Dwarshuis, Moises Henriques, Daniel Hughes, Hayden Kerr, Nathan Lyon, Izharulhaq Naveed, Chris Jordan, Steve O'Keefe, Kurtis Patterson, Josh Philippe, Jordan Silk, James Vince

Possible XI Philippe, Paterson, Vince, Hughes, Henriques, Christian, Silk, Kerr, Abbott, Dwarshius, O'Keefe

Verdict The Sixers are metronomic in this league. The squad barely changes and they get to the business end every single season. There's a lesson there. This time they could lose James Vince to Gulf Giants but it's hardly disastrous considering the depth and emergence of Hayden Kerr. Kerr is the fulcrum for Sixers. He could blast from the opening berth if they wish. And then get among the wickets again - 25 last term. They are the right favourites.

Sydney Thunder - Squad churn

To win title 11/2
To reach final 5/2
Last 2 years 3-3-5
2022 Batting run rate 1
2022 Bowling economy 4

Squad Oliver Davies, Brendan Doggett, Matthew Gilkes, Chris Green, Alex Hales, Baxter Holt, Nathan McAndrew, Alex Ross, Rilee Rossouw, Daniel Sams, Jason Sangha (c), Tanveer Sangha, David Warner, Fazalhaq Farooqi (first nine matches), Ben Cutting, Usman Qadir, Gurinder Sandhu

Possible XI J Sangha, Hales, Rossouw, Cutting, Ross, Sams, Green, Sandhu, T Sangha, Usman, Farooqi

Verdict Thunder have a terrific squad on paper. The problem is that Alex Hales, Rilee Rossouw and Faz Farooqi, the left-arm death ace for Afghanistan, are set to leave halfway through. When two other competitions are running at the same time, the pool of players to replace them is almost non-existent. David Warner is available after the South Africa Test series. It's a shame because they have solid credentials.