OUR BIG T2O
PREVIEW P37
SUPERSTARS Jofra Archer and D’Arcy Short are locked in for the next two and three summers respectively and all but spinner Cameron Boyce and all-rounder Dan Christian are good to go next Big Bash — and the Hobart Hurricanes won’t rest until they have them signed on the dotted line.
Cricket Tasmania CEO Nick Cummins said there would be few changes to the team that made the BBL final against the Strikers on Sunday — even cast aside paceman Tymal Mills will be back.
Dynamic wicketkeeperbatsman Matthew Wade is also locked in for three, and skipper George Bailey and hard-hitter Ben McDermott for two. The rest of the squad is signed for 2018-19.
That leaves the Hurricanes to stop other Big Bash franchises from stealing impact player Christian and leg-spinner Boyce — who says he hasn’t given it any thought at this stage — between now and the end of the contract embargo on February 13.
“We will certainly be trying,” Cummins said. “There is interest in them interstate and Dan has got pressures to go home to Victoria. We would love him to stay, which we have talked to him about.
“Hopefully we can get both of them to go around again.”
Forgotten West Australian bowler David Moody, who missed the Big Bash through injury, was in the Hurricanes camp at the final and will play in purple next season.
The main target for the Hurricanes would be a spinner.
“We’d be looking for a leggy, depending on what happens with Boyce,” Cummins said. “If Boyce stays, we don’t have to worry about it. Otherwise we need someone to bowl leg-spin.
“We’ve got Clive Rose, who bowls his left-arm orthodox, but we’d probably also look at an off-spinner, someone who goes the other way. We’ve got Jarrod Freeman coming through and we’ll give him some opportunities through the Hurricanes Academy over the spring and see whether he is ready for that level.
“Spin has proven to be a very big part of the Big Bash, as we’ve seen with some of the other teams and players like Rashid Khan, Fawad Ahmed and Chris Green.”
Overall, Cummins was glowing in his assessment of the Hurricanes, who finished fourth after 10 home-andaway games and played in their first grand final since BBL03.
“Our goal at the start of the year was to make the finals,” Cummins said. “We achieved that so we are really pleased.
“But once you get to the position to be able to win a grand final you’re always disappointed when you don’t. In a few days when we’ve had a bit more time to reflect, I think we’ll be really pleased but it’s hard when the last game you play is a loss because you are left with that feeling of loss.”