Australia's souped-up Big Bash twenty/20 league starts tonight, and has dreams of becoming cricket's premier competition. Hayden Meikle checks out the teams.
• Key Aussies: Talented middle-order batsman Callum Ferguson, spinner Nathan Lyon and splendidly-named captain Michael (Corporal?) Klinger.
• Imports: Explosive West Indian all-rounder Kieron Pollard and South African spinner Johan Botha.
• Rising star: Batsman Tom Cooper.
BRISBANE HEAT
• Key Aussies: All-rounder James Hopes, veteran opener Matthew Hayden and test 12th man Dan Christian.
• Imports: A couple of Kiwis, one called McCullum and one called Vettori.
• Rising star: Pace bowler Ben Cutting.
HOBART HURRICANES
• Key Aussies: Rotund whacker Mark Cosgrove, swing bowler Ben Hilfenhaus and, depending on availability, Ricky Ponting.
• Imports: English batsman Owais Shah and veteran Pakistan pace bowler Rana Naved-ul-Hasan.
• Rising star: Opening batsman Nick Kruger.
MELBOURNE RENEGADES
• Key Aussies: Batsman Brad Hodge, pace bowler Shaun Tait and all-rounder Andrew McDonald.
• Imports: Match-winning Pakistanis Shahid Afridi and Abdul Razzaq.
• Rising star: Big-hitting batsman Aaron Finch.
MELBOURNE STARS
• Key Aussies: Versatile captain Cameron White, batsmen David Voges, David Hussey and George Bailey, pace bowlers Peter Siddle and James Pattinson, and a rather decent legspinner called Shane Warne.
• Imports: Englishmen Jade Dernbach and Luke Wright.
• Rising star: Wicketkeeper-batsman Matthew Wade.
PERTH SCORCHERS
• Key Aussies: Batsmen Mike Hussey, Simon Katich, Marcus North and Shaun Marsh.
• Imports: South African opening batsman Herschelle Gibbs and English all-rounder Paul Collingwood.
• Rising star: Exciting top-order batsman Mitchell Marsh.
SYDNEY SIXERS
• Key Aussies: All-rounders Shane Watson and Steve Smith, wicketkeeper-batsman Brad Haddin, and pace bowlers Brett Lee and Pat Cummins.
• Imports: West Indian all-rounder Dwayne Bravo and Englishman Michael Lumb.
• Rising star: Opening batsman Ed Cowan.
SYDNEY THUNDER
• Key Aussies: Opening batsmen David Warner and Phil Hughes, middle-order batsman Usman Khawaja, and left-arm pace bowler Doug Bollinger.
• Imports: West Indians Chris Gayle and Fidel Edwards.
• Rising star: All-rounder Jason Floros.
