Star power: Melbourne's history of BBL imports

With the BBL introducing an international draft next summer, the days of clubs sourcing their own international stars are now a thing of the past. 

After 11 seasons of BBL, we're looking back, club by club, at every import that has turned out in the Big Bash, memorable or otherwise.

ADELAIDE STRIKERS | BRISBANE HEAT | HOBART HURRICANES | MELBOURNE RENEGADES | MELBOURNE STARS | PERTH SCORCHERS | SYDNEY SIXERS | SYDNEY THUNDER

History of overseas signings

BBL|01: Jade Dernbach, Luke Wright

BBL|02: Lasith Malinga, Dimitri Mascarenhas, Luke Wright

BBL|03: Mohammad Hafeez, Lasith Malinga, Luke Wright

BBL|04: Kevin Pietersen, Luke Wright

BBL|05: Kevin Pietersen, Luke Wright

BBL|06: Kevin Pietersen, Luke Wright

BBL|07: Kevin Pietersen, Luke Wright

BBL|08: Dwayne Bravo, Sandeep Lamichhane, Liam Plunkett

BBL|09: Dilbar Hussain, Sandeep Lamichhane, Haris Rauf, Dale Steyn

BBL|10: Andre Fletcher, Dilbar Hussain, Zahir Khan, Nicholas Pooran, Haris Rauf

BBL|11: Qais Ahmad, Joe Clarke, Ahmed Daniyal, Syed Faridoun, Haris Rauf, Andre Russell 

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The players
(sorted by matches played)

Luke Wright (England)

Seasons: BBL|01 – BBL|07

P 57 | Runs 1480 | HS 117 | SR 131.32 | Avg 29.03 | 50s 6 | 100s 2 |

W 6 | BB 1-7 | Econ 8.89 | Avg 40.50

Representing the Stars for the first seven seasons, Englishman Luke Wright became a mainstay of the league. A reliable opener, Wright hit two BBL centuries, one in BBL|01 against the Hurricanes and one in BBL|05 against the Renegades in front of a record BBL crowd at the MCG. His most productive campaign was BBL|03 when he hit 288 runs, but he also had three over seasons of at least 230 runs. Up until BBL|03 he offered a bit with the ball too with his medium pacers, but eventually gave that up to focus on his batting. By the time he’d finished his seventh season, he sat in fourth spot on the all-time BBL run-scorers. 

 

Kevin Pietersen (England)

Seasons: BBL|04 – BBL|07

P 33 | Runs 1110 | HS 76 | SR 137.21 | Avg 37.00 | 50s 10

England Test champion Pietersen was a massive signing by the Stars ahead of BBL|04 as they looked to turn around their habit of losing semi-finals. The Ashes villain became a BBL favourite for a range of reasons including his in-match commentary, his audacious shots or his ‘helmet cam’. Across Pietersen’s four seasons only Michael Klinger scored more runs (1139 to Pietersen’s 1110) and the right hander left a lasting impression on the franchise and the league, but he couldn’t inspire them to their elusive BBL title. 

 

Sandeep Lamichhane (Nepal)

Seasons: BBL|08 – BBL|09

P 21 | W 26 | BB 3-11 | Econ 7.10 | Avg 20.38

One of the recruits of BBL|08 was without a doubt Nepalese leg-spinner Sandeep Lamichhane. The tiny bowler, who had burst onto the scene with three IPL games earlier that year, was a revelation with his fast, flat and sharp-turning leg breaks. Although he left mid-BBL to play in the Bangladesh Premier League, he returned for the final few games including the finals. His first Big Bash campaign netted 11 wickets and when he returned for BBL|09 he took another 15, before being poached by the Hurricanes for the following year. 

 

Haris Rauf (Pakistan)

Season: BBL|09 – BBL|11

P 18 | W 30 | BB 5-27 | Econ 7.71 | Avg 16.40

After impressing in his debut PSL season with his raw pace, Haris Rauf turned out to be an inspired selection for the Stars in BBL|09. He took a five-wicket haul against the Hurricanes in his second match and set the MCG alight with a hat-trick in his fourth. He finished the tournament with 20 wickets and it would have been more had it not been for a maiden international call-up midway through the season. After playing only three games in BBL|10, Haris made a post-Christmas impact in BBL|11 taking nine wickets in five games as the Stars made a late charge for finals. 

 

Dwayne Bravo (West Indies)

Season: BBL|08

P 16 | Runs 145 | HS 33 | SR 122.88 | Avg 14.50 |

W 15 | BB 3-22 | Econ 7.97 | Avg 28.26

After turning out for the Renegades in the two previous seasons, Dwayne Bravo made the cross-town switch to the Stars for BBL|08 which the Stars famously lost in the final to… the Renegades. That being said, Bravo played the full season and was fairly effective with the ball, finishing with 15 wickets and a respectable economy rate. Although he was batting primarily at No.6, he couldn’t get anything going with the bat, passing 20 on only two occasions. 

 

Joe Clarke (England)

Season: BBL|11

P 13 | Runs 419 | HS 85 | SR 151.26 | Avg 32.23 | 50s 5

English opener Joe Clarke’s BBL|11 started in horrendous fashion, managing just 14 runs in his first four innings, including two ducks. But the Stars persisted with their international player and it paid off big time, as Clarke scored four consecutive half-centuries as he amassed over 400 runs for the season. He had previously played three games for the Scorchers in BBL|10 but was pushed out of the side when Jason Roy arrived. 

 

Lasith Malinga (Sri Lanka) 

Seasons: BBL|02 – BBL|03

P 13 | W 18 | BB 6-7 | Econ 5.40 | Avg 15.00

Sri Lanka quick Lasith Malinga had one of the great BBL campaigns in BBL|02, collecting 13 wickets in only seven matches including the competition’s best-ever figures of 6-7. In a huge blow for the Stars, Malinga missed the final two matches of the season due to national commitments, including the semi-final loss to Perth. The ‘Sling King’ returned for BBL|03 but was unable to meet the same lofty heights he met the previous season, taking five wickets from six games. 

 

Andre Fletcher (West Indies)

Season: BBL|10

P 12 | Runs 206 | HS 89 | SR 130.38 | Avg 20.60 | 50s 1

Big-hitting opener Andre Fletcher signed on for the entire season with the Stars needing fresh firepower at the top of the order. The gamble on the hit-or-miss West Indian didn’t pay off, with Fletcher only scoring above 20 once in 12 innings – although that one innings was a breathtaking 89 off 49 balls. 'The Spiceman' quickly gained notoriety for his 'no-look six' and his most memorable highlights came in a field with a slew of fabulous outfield catches and the outrageous dance moves that followed. 

 

Qais Ahmad (Afghanistan)

Season: BBL|11

P 10 | W 13 | BB 3-26 | Econ 7.14 | Avg 21.23

It didn't make a lot of noise but the signing of Qais Ahmad, who’d had success with the Hurricanes, turned out to be a good move for the Stars. He took multiple wickets on five occasions and was still able to keep his economy rate around seven. Qais was also a surprise packet with the bat - he brought his unique technique to the crease and hit four sixes, eventually working his way up to No.7 in the order.

Liam Plunkett (England)

Season: BBL|08

P 8 | W 12 | BB 4-36 | Econ 8.22 | Avg 17.58

The tall paceman was signed to the Stars as an international replacement for Sandeep Lamichhane in BBL|08 and immediately proved himself as a wicket-taker. Although he started his stint as expensive, he got more economical as the season went on. His two best bowling efforts both came against the Strikers (4-36 and 3-21) and the BBL proved to be the perfect springboard for the big Englishman, as he went on to win the ODI World Cup several months later. 

 

Zahir Khan (Afghanistan) 

Season: BBL|10

P 8 | W 6 | BB 2-19 | Econ 6.93 | Avg 33.50

With the loss of Sandeep Lamichhane to the Hurricanes, the Stars turned to Zahir Khan who had played for the Heat the previous summer. He failed to take a wicket in his first three matches but his economy rate of below seven was very impressive. It wasn’t enough for him to hang around however, he switched to cross-town rivals the Renegades for BBL|11. 

Nicholas Pooran (West Indies)

Season: BBL|10

P 6 | Runs 127 | HS 65 | SR 169.33 | Avg 25.40 | 50s 1

After a dominant IPL with the Punjab Kings, West Indian Nicholas Pooran was signed by the Stars on a six-game deal to electrify their middle order. In his first innings, he smashed an incredible eight sixes in his 65 off 26 balls, which was part of a record 125-run partnership with Glenn Maxwell. He managed at least one six in all of his innings but his next highest score was 26 as his stint ended way too soon. 

 

Andre Russell (West Indies)

Season: BBL|11

P 5 | Runs 83 | HS 42 | SR 156.60 | Avg 41.50 |

W 3 | BB 3-48 | Econ 10.12 | Avg 57.33

The West Indies superstar came into the BBL in bizarre fashion, due to Covid protocols he wasn’t allowed to sit with or celebrate with his teammates. However it mattered little as by his second match he was already smashing the Stars to victory, with a blazing 42 not out off 21 balls against the Thunder. His bowling though left a lot to be desired, going wicketless in all but one of his matches and conceding over 10 runs an over.

 

Dale Steyn (South Africa)

Season: BBL|09

P 4 | W 5 | BB 2-12 | Econ 6.23 | Avg 16.20

The signing of 36-year-old South African legend Dale Steyn was a massive get for the Stars, even though he was only available for the first portion of the season. Steyn's start against the Strikers on the Gold Coast was far from ideal, conceding 20 runs in his first five balls to Jake Weatherald. However, he got the wicket to close out his first over. His best performance definitely came in his final game, against the Renegades at the MCG, when he took 2-16 from four overs. Although he didn't quite hit the same speeds as in his pomp, his economy rate of just over six runs an over showed his class. 

 

Ahmed Daniyal (Pakistan)

Season: BBL|11

P 3 | W 3 | BB 1-24 | Econ 9.10 | Avg 30.33

Ahmed Daniyal is another player from the Lahore Qalanders who featured for the stars at the end of BBL|11. The Pakistan paceman made his debut when several Stars were unavailable due to Covid and took 1-24 against the Renegades. Although Daniyal produced deliveries over the 140kmh mark on several occasions, he only bowled his full quota of four overs once. 

Dilbar Hussain (Pakistan)

Seasons: BBL|09 – BBL|10

P 3 | W 4 | BB 2-25 | Econ 9.36 | Avg 23.00

Dilbar Hussain hadn’t played a single match of elite T20 cricket when he came from nowhere to make his T20 debut in BBL|09 as a replacement for his Lahore teammate Haris Rauf. And his debut against the Heat was a mixed bag – he took the wicket of AB de Villiers, but not before he had conceded 56 runs from his four overs. Hussain also snuck in two matches in BBL|10 and his performances drastically improved, taking three wickets at an economy rate of only 6.17. 

Image Id: A44ACCFF6D8545CE818ABD14E7548670 Image Caption: Dilbar Hussain's second season with the Stars was a big improvement on his first // Getty

Jade Dernbach (England)

Season: BBL|01 

P 2 | W 1 | BB 1-44 | Econ 10.00 | Avg 80.00

England international Jade Dernbach joined the Stars in the augural season of the BBL and had a reputation as a T20 specialist in the early days of the format. Although the Surrey bowler had earned several international caps with his back-of-the-hand slower balls and slower bouncers, the BBL was a rough experience for him. In his first match David Warner took him apart with a century and in his second Matthew Hayden smacked 21 runs off his first over. 

Dimitri Mascarenhas (England)

Season: BBL|02

P 2 | W 2 | BB 2-27 | Econ 7.71 | Avg 27.00

With Lasith Malinga on Sri Lanka duties, the Stars turned to Mascarenhas for the final two games of the season, which included the semi-final loss to Perth. He took two wickets against the Thunder in an impressive debut display, but went wicketless in the semi final, ending his run with the Stars. 

Image Id: 22467FA7D19F4E13AA9813C0D9F82E01 Image Caption: Dimitri Mascarenhas celebrating a wicket on debut // Getty

Syed Faridoun (Pakistan)

Season: BBL|11

P 1 | W 0 | BB 0-37 | Econ 9.25 | Avg n/a

There was a great deal of mystery surrounding Faridoun’s selection in the opening match of BBL|11 as he was yet another Pakistan player plucked from relative obscurity by the Stars. He had a tough time as the Stars lost heavily to the Sixers and he wasn’t seen again as Andre Russell arrived.

Mohammad Hafeez (Pakistan)

Season: BBL|03

P 1 | Runs 4 | HS 4 | SR 66.66 | Avg 4.00 |

W 0 | BB 0-22 | Econ 7.33 | Avg n/a

Just the one match in BBL|03 for the Pakistan international, who was at the time ranked No.1 on the ICC’s T20 allrounder rankings. He came in for one match as a replacement player for Lasith Malinga who was out on national duty, but the Sri Lanka returned in time for finals, meaning Hafeez only featured in one match. Against the Scorchers, he was out cheaply and didn’t take a wicket but did take the catch of Perth captain Simon Katich as the Stars won by 20 runs. 

Image Id: DBFAADD996D244418EAAF1577F09BC35 Image Caption: Just one match in the BBL for star Pakistan allrounder Mohammad Hafeez // Getty