Afghanistan spinner Rashid Khan and Australia all-rounder Moises Henriques on Monday were named in Big Bash League (BBL) 11 Team of the Tournament.
The Team of the Tournament is selected by the head coaches of all eight clubs.
Ben McDermott and Josh Philippe, unanimous selections among the eight coaches, open the batting in the Team of the Tournament. This season, McDermott became the first player in BBL history to hit centuries in consecutive games on his way to 577 runs at 48.08 apiece and leads the BKT Golden Bat count by 109 runs with two games remaining this season. Josh Philippe has had another outstanding season for the Sixers, plundering 429 runs and claiming 17 dismissals so far.
That duo is followed by the powerful quartet of Joe Clarke, Mitchell Marsh, Matt Short and Moises Henriques. Each of Clarke, Short and Henriques have scored over 400 runs for the campaign with 10 half-centuries and 55 sixes between them. Meanwhile Marsh, despite playing just seven matches due to his national commitments, showed the quality that saw him win the player of the match award in the recent ICC Men's T20 World Cup Final, smashing 342 runs at an average of 68.40.
The team features two further unanimous selections - Adelaide Strikers captain Peter Siddle, who also takes the reins here, and Sydney Thunder's Daniel Sams. Siddle leads the Team of the Tournament after a personal best BBL campaign which sees him on top of the BKT Golden Arm standings with 29 wickets at 17.37 apiece. All-rounder Sams' power with the bat and prowess with the ball were on display again in KFC BBL|11, scoring 191 runs at a strike rate of 161.86 and claiming 19 wickets as well.
The second, third and fourth-ranked bowlers in the BKT Golden Arm standings make up the attack - Hayden Kerr, Andrew Tye and Rashid Khan. Left-armer Kerr has enjoyed a breakout season for the Sydney Sixers, with his 24 wickets at 13.45 apiece, the best bowling average for any player with 15 or more wickets. Veteran Tye cemented his status as a BBL great, passing the 100 wicket mark in the competition this season, while the highlight of Rashid Khan's 11-game, 20-wicket stint was a brilliant 6-17 against the Brisbane Heat.
Jason Sangha and Sean Abbott are the X-Factor players in the KFC BBL|11 Team of the Tournament. Sangha forced his way back into Sydney Thunder's side and made the number three position his own with 445 runs in 12 innings, while Abbott became the leading wicket-taker in BBL history during this season, currently sitting on 122 wickets from 92 matches.
Trent Woodhill, Big Bash Leagues' Player Acquisition and Cricket Consultant, said: "This is one of the most exciting Team of the Tournament line ups in BBL history, featuring a combination of World Cup winners, seasoned BBL veterans, breakout stars and history-makers in our competition."
BBL Team of the Tournament: Ben McDermott (Hobart Hurricanes), Josh Philippe (Sydney Sixers), Joe Clarke (Melbourne Stars), Mitchell Marsh (Perth Scorchers), Matt Short (Adelaide Strikers), Daniel Sams (Sydney Thunder), Rashid Khan (Adelaide Strikers), Hayden Kerr (Sydney Sixers), Andrew Tye (Perth Scorchers), Peter Siddle (c, Adelaide Strikers).
X-Factor -- Sean Abbott (Sydney Sixers), Jason Sangha (Sydney Thunder).
( With inputs from ANI )
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