Big stars included in Perth squad for first clash versus Renegades

Captain Ashton Turner leads a very strong Perth team into their first match in Geelong.  

There was slight doubt over the opening pair for the Scorchers, however captain Ashton Turner confirmed that BBL 12 final hero - Cooper Connolly - will be one of the openers. It is likely that Middlesex overseas batsman, Stevie Eskinazi, will pair with the young Aussie to form an opening pair for Perth. This will be a a key partnership as they will need to build a solid platform for the explosive middle-order to play their natural game.  

Where is Mitchell Marsh? 

Mitchell Marsh has been included in the Australia test squad that will host Pakistan this summer. He will be staying in Perth ahead of the training sessions that will be followed by the first day of the test on Tuesday. He will be playing in very familiar territory - Optus Stadium which is his home ground. It is expected that Marsh will be unavailable for the majority of the Big Bash season due to the test team commitments.  

Word from the coach

Perth coach, Adam Voges, has mentioned that spinner Hamish McKenzie is likely to play in place of Ashton Agar. Elsewhere, Matt Kelly is adding to Perth’s armoury in their bowling stocks. Kelly is making a return from a long-term calf-injury therefore, his workload will be managed carefully. As a direct impact of including 4-5 specialist bowlers, Cooper Connolly and Aaron Hardie’s bowling may be reduced to a maximum of 2 overs per match.    

Squad Breakdown 

The Final squad is as follows: Turner ©, Behrendorff, Connolly, Eskinazi, Evans, Hardie, Hobson, Inglis, Kelly, McKenzie, Richardson, Tye, Whiteman. 
 
Zak Crawley is unavailable for selection due to England duties in the West Indies, he should be available for Game 3 after the final ODI. Lance Morris is occupied with the Australian test team. It is unlikely to feature in the starting XI, however he will be unavailable for the Scorchers.