Western front: Perth'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: Paul Collingwood, Herschelle Gibbs

BBL|02: Herschelle Gibbs, Alfonso Thomas

BBL|03: Yasir Arafat, Alfonso Thomas

BBL|04: Yasir Arafat, Michael Carberry

BBL|05: Michael Carberry, David Willey

BBL|06: Ian Bell, David Willey, Tim Bresnan

BBL|07: Tim Bresnan, David Willey

BBL|08: Usman Qadir, David Willey

BBL|09: Chris Jordan, Liam Livingstone, Morne Morkel

BBL|10: Joe Clarke, Liam Livingstone, Colin Munro, Jason Roy

BBL|11: Laurie Evans, Tymal Mills, Colin Munro

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The players (sorted by matches played)

Colin Munro (New Zealand)

Seasons: BBL|10 - BBL|11

P 29 | Runs 833 | HS 114no | SR 127.76 | Avg 36.22 | 100s 1 | 50s 6 

A destructive batsman and elite outfielder, Colin Munro's time with the Scorchers got off to a horror start with a duck in his first game. But he quickly bounced back, pumelling 49 in his next bat and with 29 appearances under his belt is the most capped Scorchers international and arguably the club's greatest signing. A consistent contributor, he passed fifty four times in BBL|10 on his way to a club best 443 runs – and fifth best in the league – while another 390 runs came in BBL|11. That included an unbeaten 114 off 73 balls against the Strikers – with 44 coming off the final 15 balls – in a match played behind closed doors in Sydney with Perth locked out of their home state. If there is a blemish on Munro's record, it's that he hasn't delivered in the two BBL finals he's played with Perth, scoring a combined three runs across the two deciders, but silverware last summer would have eased that pain.

 

Liam Livingstone (England)

Seasons: BBL|09 - BBL10

P 28 | Runs 851 | HS 79 | SR 138.15 | Avg 30.39 | 50s 7

W 9 | BB 2-4 | Avg 16.55 | Econ 8.20

Perth's most dynamic international batter since Herschelle Gibbs, Livingstone formed an exhilarating opening combination with Josh Inglis in a stellar debut season that saw him score 425 at the explosive strike rate of 142.61 with four fifties. His BBL|10 campaign was nearly as good, smashing 426 runs at a slightly reduced strike rate of 133.96 and top scored for Perth in their BBL final defeat to the Sixers. His leg-spin was also a welcome development, and he proved more than handy with the ball. Livingstone's career took an upwards trajectory after his BBL efforts, and a combination of COVID and international duties kept him from a return in BBL|11. He became a social media sensation after copping two low blows in the same innings against the Renegades in his debut season.

 

David Willey (England)

Seasons: BBL|05 - BBL|08

P 27 | Runs 229 | HS 55 | SR 108.02 | Avg 14.31 | 50s 1

W 26 | BB 3-22 | Avg 24.26 | Econ 7.42

A hard-hitting batter and canny left-arm quick, David Willey was a mainstay of the Perth Scorchers side between 2015 and 2019. He is Perth's third-most capped import with 27 appearances, even with early exits in BBL|06 and BBL|07 for international commitments. So confident in Willey were the Justin Langer-coached Scorchers in BBL|07, they opted to go in just the one overseas player, but later called in Bresnan when England came calling again. His final season in Perth saw form desert him as he was troubled by a shoulder injury, ultimately dropped and returning to England before the season had ended. 

 

Yasir Arafat (Pakistan)

Seasons: BBL|03 - BBL|04

P 16 | W 27 | BB 4-24 | Avg 17.37 | Econ 7.62

The Pakistan international will forever have a place in Scorchers history for scrambling the winning run in the BBL|04 final at Manuka in one of the most dramatic final T20 cricket has seen. Arafat was a late replacement for Perth in 2013 after West Indian Dwayne Smith pulled out, and had a terrific BBL|03 with 12 wickets in six games. He missed the BBL|03 finals campaign but more than made up for it the following year. He snared 15 wickets in 10 games, the second-most in the competition for BBL|04, and his scampered single off the final ball, courtesy of a blown run out chance, secured Perth back-to-back titles.

 

Herschelle Gibbs (South Africa)

Seasons: BBL|01 - BBL|02

P 16 | Runs 488 | HS 71 | SR 139.42 | Avg 32.53 | 50s 6 

One of Perth's greatest imports, sadly for Herschelle Gibbs, his record shows he was never quite at his best in the biggest games. A stellar BBL|01 season was soured by a golden duck in the final against the Sixers, and a hamstring injury ruled him out of the BBL|02 decider against the Heat. His BBL|01 season was elite – 302 runs in seven games at 151.75 and average of 43.14 as opener, and his top score of 71 off  46 came in a semi-final win over the Stars. But that form couldn't quite be replicated the following year, with three fifties offset by five single-figure scores. He also played four games for the club at the ill-fated 2012 T20 Champions League tournament. 

 

Alfonso Thomas (South Africa)

Seasons: BBL|02 - BBL|03

P 16 | W 16 | BB 4-8 | Avg 24.81 | Econ 7.26

A late replacement for fellow South African Albie Morkel after Cricket South Africa refused to grant clearance, Thomas had a great BBL|02 season with 12 scalps to finish fourth in the tournament overall, including a career-best 4-8 against the Renegades, as Perth reached the final, only to lose to the Heat. Thomas didn't hit the same heights in BBL|03 with just four wickets for the season but saved his best for last as he claimed 2-23 as Perth won their first BBL title against Hobart. 

 

Michael Carberry (England)

Seasons: BBL|04 - BBL|05

P 15 | Runs 353 | HS 77* | SR 127.44 | Avg 35.30 | 50s 4 

The Englishman arrived with Aussie fans remembering his role in the 2013-14 Ashes whitewash, but soon showed Big Bash audiences his T20 credentials in a middle-order role with 266 runs in nine innings in BBL|04. The highlight was a 37-ball 77no including six sixes that saw Perth recover from a top order wobble to easily run down the Heat at home. Carberry played a vital role in that dramatic final over for the BBL|04 final, with his ramp off Brett Lee's first ball helping to set up the win. His BBL|05 was a stop-start affair, dropped after two failures, he returned to post 62 off 35 in a thriller against the Hurricanes before his returns fell away and was again benched.

 

Laurie Evans (England)

Season: BBL|11

P 15 | Runs 361 | HS 76no | SR 144.40 | Avg 40.11 | 50s 2

Laurie Evans cemented his spot in Perth Scorchers folklore with a blistering 76no from 41 balls that fired the club to the BBL|11 title. Recruited by Perth after being suggested by Ashton Agar after they had played together in England, Evans played the whip hand in rescuing Perth from 4-25 in the final. To top it off, he played the knock with a broken toe after copping a yorker on the boot in mid-January. An experienced middle-order player, the 34-year-old veteran 'finished' the innings on numerous occasions for the Scorchers in BBL|11 with knocks of 69 against the Stars, 42 off 16 balls against the Renegades, and 40 off 24 against the Hurricanes. 

 

Chris Jordan (England)

Season: BBL|09

P 13 | W 15 | BB 3-28 | Avg 24.93 | Econ 8.69

The flying Englishman took one of the all-time great catches in BBL history with his diving outfield effort in just his second game to become an instant fan favourite. He was a consistent contributor with the ball across the season, taking 15 wickets in 13 games, but Perth missed him at the back end of the season when he was called up by England and the Scorchers missed the finals for a second straight summer. 

 

Jason Roy (England)

Season: BBL|10

P 12 | Runs 355 | HS 74no | SR 130.51 | Avg 32.27 | 50s 2

Big-hitting England opener Jason Roy was another great signing for the Scorchers in BBL|10, but his season was soured by a disappointing finals campaign – having failed in the qualifier final, he then rolled his ankle during a training drill and was forced to sit out the remainder of the campaign as the Scorchers lost to the Sixers. Prior to that, he'd helped form a formidable top three in BBL|10 with Liam Livingstone and Colin Munro.

 

Ian Bell (England)

Season: BBL|06

P 10 | Runs 231| HS 61 | SR 126.92 | Avg 33.00 | 50s 1 

With his international career in the rear-view mirror, England's Ian Bell proved an astute signing for Perth for the 2016-17 summer. He announced himself with 61 from 42 on debut and was an excellent contributor with the bat in nine of his 10 matches. He played a key role supporting Michael Klinger as the Scorchers ran away with the BBL|06 title, hitting 31 from 25 in the final as Perth claimed their third title.

 

Tim Bresnan (England)

Seasons: BBL|06 - BBL|07 

P 10 | W 17 | BB 3-40 | Avg 18.11 | Econ 8.47

Runs 70 | HS 43 | SR 159.09 | Avg 70.00

First arriving in Perth as a replacement for David Willey during the BBL|06 title run, Bresnan underlined his value with three wickets in the final to mop up the Sixers tail. He returned the following summer to again replace Willey when the allrounder departed for national duties and helped Perth to finish in top spot for BBL|07 with regular wickets. He blasted 43 with the bat in the BBL|07 semi-final but it was a horror collapse for Perth as Hobart stormed past them into the final. 

 

Paul Collingwood (England)

Season: BBL|01

P 9 | Runs 113 | HS 32 | SR 122.82 | Avg 16.14 

Fresh from captaining England to the 2010 T20 World Cup title, Paul Collingwood joined the Perth Scorchers as their second ever international, after Herschelle Gibbs, after retiring from Test cricket. A valuable middle-order player and gun fielder Collingwood was a solid contributor for Perth and his experience shone through as he put up his best performance in the BBL|01 final with 32 in a losing cause.

Tymal Mills (England)

Season: BBL|11

P 7 | W 12 | BB 3-23 | Avg 15.83 | Econ 7.35

Perth had originally signed Brydon Carse, but less than 24 hours later the rapid 26-year-old South Africa-born Englishman had suffered a serious knee injury, paving the way for Tymal Mills to continue his late career resurgence. The left-arm quick was key for England in the 2020 T20 World Cup and, after stints with both the Brisbane Heat and Hobart Hurricanes, the BBL final saw the best of him with Perth. Mills was impressive for the Scorchers with 12 wickets in his seven games before leaving before the finals campaign for international duty. 

Image Id: A3B5301DC18642C6A5A0F3615393C461 Image Caption: At his third BBL club, Tymal Mills was effective for the Scorchers in BBL|11 // Getty

Usman Qadir (Pakistan)

Season: BBL|08

P 7 | W 6 | BB 1-25 | Avg 33.83| Econ 8.45

The son of Pakistan legend Abdul Qadir, Usman's time in Perth was short but colourful. The then 26-year-old had declared he wanted to represent Australia after turning his back on Pakistan, but was contracted as an international by the Scorchers. He struggled for impact, was dropped from the team, then left the club embarrassed when he was caught driving 45kph over the speed limit around the WACA and had his sponsor-provided car seized by police in a rare forgettable season for the Scorchers who finished with the BBL's wooden spoon.

Image Id: 17202AB5201E4BF78D9DBF57BD3BB3AC Image Caption: Usman Qadir celebrates a wicket during the BBL|08 season // Getty

Joe Clarke (England)

Season: BBL|10

P 3 | Runs 44 | HS 34 | SR 183.33 | Avg 14.66 

A short-term signing to cover Livingstone and Roy while they were serving hotel quarantine after arriving to the BBL late following England's tour of South Africa, Clarke was a controversial signing given his trouble with the law back in England. He failed to fire in his short time with Perth, with his top score a quickfire 34 coming in a washout against the Melbourne Stars.

Morne Morkel (South Africa)

Season: BBL|09

P 1 | W 0 | BB 0-18 | Avg n/a | Econ 18.00

Drafted in to replace Chris Jordan, Morne Morkel's BBL debut was rather forgettable. In a rain-affected, reduced-overs contest, he only bowled the one over, was carted around by Alex Hales, and not seen again. Although living in Australia at the time, Morkel was at the time still considered an import for contracting purposes..