The Sydney Sixers face an embarrassment of riches at this year's Champions League when they welcome back their Australian stars for the global Twenty20 tournament.
The Sixers were undefeated when they claimed the title in 2012 and will be strongly fancied to win the $7.6 million tournament for a second time this year. Steve Smith, Brad Haddin, Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood are set to join the Sixers team, which came tantalisingly close to winning the Big Bash League final on Wednesday night. The only stumbling block will be if Smith (Rajasthan), Starc (Bangalore) and Hazlewood (Mumbai) are required by their Indian Premier League franchises, which have first right of refusal to players who qualify through other teams.
"It's going to be difficult to push some of the guys out of this side that have been performing really well in their absence," said Sixers captain Moises Henriques. "It's going to be hard to leave guys out like Mitch Starc, Josh Hazlewood and obviously the Australian captain Steve Smith, who is playing fantastic cricket … unfortunately, there might be people who have to make way for those inclusions. It's a pretty strong side once those guys are in."
Despite the potential riches on offer and the urgings of his teammates, Lee will not delay his retirement to play in the Champions League. "Absolutely not. Somebody asked me in the crowd 'what's your chance of playing again?' and I said 'Harvey Norman … no interest'," Lee said.
Cricket Australia say the Champions League will go ahead as planned this year despite speculation the tournament could be put on the backburner. The uncertainty is said to stem from TV rights holder Star India, which signed a 10-year $US1 billion deal in 2008 to broadcast the tournament, not being happy with their financial return due to poor ratings for matches not involving an IPL team.
Waverley residents: park your car in the garage
Waverley Council residents have been warned. One of the biggest hitters in world cricket Chris Gayle will be batting in your neck of the woods so get your car out of harm's way. The West Indies are using Waverley Oval as their training base from Monday to Friday next week leading into the World Cup. Easts Cricket Club have conducted a letterbox drop to Bondi Junction residents near the park warning them of the increased risk to cars parked on the street. Meanwhile, Randwick-Petersham are playing host to Ireland.
Lyon in auction for IPL contract
He won't feature in the World Cup but Nathan Lyon hopes he showed enough for Sydney Sixers in the run-up to the Big Bash final to land an Indian Premier League contract for the first time. Australia's Test spinner is in the player auction, to be held in Bangalore on February 16, and says he has put his hand up not only for a slice of the cash that lures so many of top internationals to the Twenty20 tournament each year.
"I'm in the auction," Lyon said. "But you know as well as I do I never know if I'll get picked up or not. I would like to go over there and use the IPL as an experience tool and a training tool also … training and potentially playing in subcontinent conditions in India. That's one reason why I'm in the auction." Lyon's only visit to India with the Test team wasn't a wholly enjoyable experience – he was dropped after the first Test in Chennai after being pummelled by MS Dhoni – but he hit back to collect nine wickets in the final match of that series in Delhi. That remained his biggest haul in a single match, until the 12 he bagged against India in Adelaide last month.
Fast bowlers' 'never lose attitude'
Wasim Akram can see plenty of old foe Craig McDermott in Australia's fast bowlers. The Pakistan great likes how McDermott's mantra of pitching the ball up has been adsorbed by the likes of Mitchell Starc, Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood.
"They might struggle in the spin department but overall as far as the fast bowling is concerned they're in the right hands as far as their bowling coach is concerned," Akram said. "Craig McDermott was a very strong person himself when he played. He had this typical never lose attitude. Everything's rubbing off on him on all these young bowlers. Their lengths have changed since Craig McDermott joined as a bowling. They're pitching it up a lot more."
