In a busy off season for the Renegades, there will be plenty of new faces in red, with Australian T20 representatives Dan Christian and Cameron Boyce, both making the jump over the Bass Strait from the Hurricanes.
Victorian young guns Mackenzie Harvey, Will Sutherland and Zac Evans have jumped on board and have brought great excitement with them. The trio are highly rated and when fully fit Big Bash debuts won’t be far away.
An exciting addition to the squad for this season will be Pakistan quick Usman Khan Shinwari and Englishman Harry Gurney, the pair of left arm fast bowlers will add great versatility to the Renegades attack this summer.
Player to Watch: Jack Wildermuth – the big hitting Queenslander picked up Man of the Match honours against the Heat last season after a four-wicket haul. He showed glimpses with the bat, but could be set for a rise up the order. When he has his eye in, look out.
Young gun to watch: Mackenzie Harvey – after a short stint with the squad last season, this could be the breakout year for the 18 year old. He plays shots all around the wicket and looks to get on the attack from the outset. He’s also a jet in the field.
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The additions compliment the players who were retained for BBL08, including BBL07 Player of the Season Tom Cooper. The South Australian was a revelation scoring 298 runs at 49.67 with a whooping strike rate of 141. Cameron White is back again and will be a mainstay with the bat. White was exceptional in BBL07 with 304 runs at 76.
A big cue for the Renegades is the return of Mohammad Nabi, the Afghanistan all-rounder burst onto the BBL scene last year. Fans will remember his scintillating innings against the Stars (52 off 30) and his miserly right-arm off-spin where he conceded just 5.77 runs per over. An added bonus for BBL08 is that Nabi is available for the whole tournament. He could be the X-factor the Renegades need this summer.
Foundation player and current skipper Aaron Finch signed a new deal in the off-season. He and fellow opening batsman Marcus Harris have caught the eyes of the Australian selectors, so their availability with the Renegades may be restricted. This will provide great opportunities for players such as Tim Ludeman and Jack Wildermuth to push up the order.
Renegades BBL Squad: Aaron Finch (Capt), Cameron Boyce, Dan Christian, Tom Cooper, Zac Evans, Marcus Harris, Mackenzie Harvey, Jon Holland, Usman Khan Shinwari, Tim Ludeman, Joe Mennie, Mohammad Nabi, Kane Richardson, Will Sutherland, Chris Tremain, Beau Webster, Cameron White, Jack Wildermuth, Harry Gurney*
Departures: Brad Hodge, Matt Short, Brad Hogg, Guy Walker, Dwyane Bravo, James Pattinson
*Harry Gurney replaces Usman Khan Shinwari for second half of the season.
Click here to see the BBL08 Fixture for the Melbourne Renegades.