New faces and a confident attitude have the Thunder primed for a maiden finals appearance in BBL|05
BBL|05 preview: Sydney Thunder
Squad: Michael Hussey (c), Fawad Ahmed, Ahillen Beadle, Aiden Blizzard, Patrick Cummins, Jake Doran, Chris Green, Chris Hartley, Jacques Kallis (OS), Usman Khawaja, Alister McDermott, Andrew McDonald, Clint McKay, Kurtis Patterson, Ben Rohrer, Andre Russell (OS), Gurinder Sandhu, Shane Watson.
Ins: Fawad Ahmed (Renegades), Kurtis Patterson, Andrew McDonald, Ben Rohrer (Renegades), Andre Russell (Renegades, OS), Alister McDermott (Heat), Shane Watson.
Outs: Nathan Hauritz (Renegades), Daniel Hughes, Josh Lalor, Eoin Morgan, Dirk Nannes, Chris Tremain (Renegades), Cameron Delport, Jason Roy.
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Master Blaster
How do you choose between Mr Cricket and King Kallis? The Thunder have two absolute legends in their line-up, and both Mike Hussey and Jacques Kallis will be desperate to steer their side into the first finals series in the club's history. Despite nudging 40, both players showed at various stages last summer that they're still absolute stars of the game, and with their combined class and experience, they again shape as a pair of aces up the Thunder's sleeve.
WATCH: Kallis's classy debut
Strike Weapon
Gurinder Sandhu made his ODI debut earlier this year and is one of the best young quicks in the country. With pace, height, consistency and a good outswinger, he is just about the full package. "He's got the ability to bowl a great yorker, and he thinks his way through every ball that he bowls and sets fields accordingly," BBL commentator and Test legend Ricky Ponting told bigbash.com.au recently. "He's got great changes of paces and I like his variations. I picked him in my World Cup squad this year – that's how highly I rate him."
WATCH: Sandhu's super start to BBL|04
Young Gun
Jake Doran is the youngest player in BBL history and has been blitzing it at national under-age levels for years. The 19-year-old keeper-batsman is highly thought of by plenty of good judges, including former Test quick and BBL commentator Damien Fleming. "The question will be if the Thunder are willing to give him a game," Fleming told bigbash.com.au. "Because he's the Under-19s kid who we're hearing is one of the stars of the next generation. To get a teenager like him in there would be really exciting." Doran is unlikely to keep wickets but could find a place in the middle order - regardless, he'll be soaking up some valuable lessons from the likes of Hussey, Kallis and Shane Watson.
WATCH: Doran impresses for PM's XI
Overseas Impact
When Andre Russell walks onto the field, strap yourselves in. The quintessential Caribbean character, Russell is entertainment personified. Lively with the ball, phenomenal in the field and simply devastating with the bat, the athletic Jamaican is a major coup for the Thunder, who picked him up from the Renegades, and might just make the difference in getting the men in lime green into their first finals.
WATCH: Russell's massive BBL sixes
Surprise Packet
For the first time in more than a decade, Shane Watson hasn't featured on our screens in any international cricket so far this summer and the allrounder might just have flown under the radar a little as potentially one of the BBL's most influential signings. Watson is routinely criticised as an under-performer but as one of the cleanest hitters in the world and a vastly experienced T20 campaigner, he could surprise plenty with a massive campaign for the Thunder.
Fantasy Bargain
Chris Hartley will likely take the gloves ahead of young gun Doran and is a veteran limited-overs performer who you can generally bank on. At $30,000, he's a steal and will allow you to spend big on the marquee men who appeal to you.