Daniel Hughes looks set to fill Steve Smith’s massive boots with the Australian star unavailable for the rest of the BBL as he and his Test teammates prepare to fly out to India in the coming days.
Smith has been the most electrifying player in the tournament since he returned after the South Africa Test series, smashing a season-high 25 sixes from five innings in a rare return to the top of the order.
But the Sixers won’t have him for Thursday’s grand final qualifier, opening the door for Hughes to return to the side for just the fourth time this season.
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The elegant left-hander has scored the 11th most runs in BBL history but has been surprisingly squeezed out of the top order this season given his hot form in the 50-over competition where he belted back-to-back centuries in November.
Hughes hasn’t opened in either of his innings this BBL season but may return to the top for Thursday’s match at the SCG against the winner of Sunday’s game between the Renegades and Heat.
“Dan has been one of our best players for the whole of the BBL,” veteran all-rounder Sean Abbott said.
“It’s quite a luxury to have him coming in, especially when we go home because he knows those conditions so well. When we come back here, hopefully, he plays fast bowling really well which is a strength of this team.
“I have no doubt that it’s been really frustrating for him. I don’t really feel like Dan is ever out of form, and we’ve seen what form he’s been in playing white ball cricket for NSW this year with a couple of hundreds.
“He’s been one of the core players for the Sixers for a long time and he’s one of the reasons we do so well, because no matter the selections, he goes about his business and has the attitude ‘pick me when you’re ready to pick me and I’ll go out there and do the job’.
“We’re very grateful to have someone like Dan in the team ready to come in.”
Abbott paid tribute to Smith’s incredible contributions to the side this season but lamented some terrible fielding in Saturday’s loss to the Scorchers that cost them a direct passage to the final.
The Sixers were on top at several stages of the match after Abbott ripped through the home side’s top order with three wickets in the power play, but Ashton Turner and Cam Bancroft steered the Scorchers home with a stunning partnership.
The two sides have been the dominant forces in the BBL over the years, and the Sixers would love another crack at Optus Stadium where they have already lost twice this season.
Abbott says they’ve learned their lessons and may look to tinker with their bowling attack after going into the game with two spinners on a seam-friendly deck on a day the hosts bowled 20 overs of pace.
“It’s a distinct home ground advantage for both teams,” he said.
“When we’ve come here, these guys have played extremely well in the conditions, and it’s the same when teams come play at the SCG. That was on the line for both teams, and unfortunately we didn’t do what we set out to do.
“It’s going to be tough.
“We’ve got a big game next week against whoever we come up against at home (and if we win) then we fly the next day and come back here where we haven’t had the success that we’d like.”
