‘Gades banking on the White stuff to win semi
MELBOURNE Renegades are set to welcome back veteran batsman Cameron White for their BBL semi-final clash with Sydney Sixers.
Skipper Aaron Finch has confirmed White will play in tonight’s game at Marvel Stadium, most likely as a direct replacement for spinning allrounder Mohammad Nabi who is unavailable due to Afghanistan international duties.
Former captain White missed the past two games after a hamstring injury forced him to retire hurt during the Renegades’ win over Perth Scorchers.
The 35-year-old, whose record includes 232 T20 appearances and 45 T20 international caps, looms as a danger man in the Renegades’ hunt for a maiden BBL title.
“He’s world-class at this game when he’s at his absolute best so I think he’s a great guy to come back,” Finch said.
“Obviously we took the conservative route with him last game. We didn’t want to risk him redoing his hamstring so soon after having that niggle, so it’s not a case of Cameron coming back after being dropped.
“He has so much experience in the T20 format. Not just with the bat but in the field; as a captain, he’s done that for so long that he provides me with great support as well.”
While White is a more than handy replacement, Nabi will be a big loss for the home team.
The 34-year-old had plundered 228 runs and taken eight wickets this season to help the Renegades book their third semi-final appearance.
“He provided a lot with the ball, he was a gun in the field and he had some real crucial innings with the bat as well,” Finch said.
“We sort of sensed it was going to happen a couple of weeks ago if we got into this position. It’s not a shock but it probably just rejigs our structure a bit.”
Under BBL rules, international replacements must play a regular season game to be eligible for finals.
That law has affected both teams in tonight’s semi-final with the Sixers having lost Tom Curran to England international duties.
Finch suggested a rule change wouldn’t have made much difference in this case.
“I think it would have been too late to replace him had the rules allowed that anyway,” Finch said.