Steve Smith’s swashbuckling Big Bash League cameo has earned him a spot on the league’s official tournament team. At the end of the regular season, the eight BBL coaches voted for the best players, who were then compiled into a team that was announced on Wednesday morning.
The team had no overseas players, with the majority of the best-visiting talent departing early to compete in the UAE’s International League T20 or the new SAT20 tournament. Smith joined the Sydney Sixers after the home Test summer ended, but he only appeared in five of a possible 14 games.
BBL Team of the tournament:
Squad goals 🤩
A huge congratulations to all players selected in the #BBL12 Team of the Tournament – as voted by the coaches! 👏
What do you think? Did the coaches get it right? Who was stiff to miss out? 💬 pic.twitter.com/2EFeBA9hWn
— KFC Big Bash League (@BBL) January 31, 2023
During that time, he averaged 86.5 runs per game, became the first Sixers player to hit a century (he ended up with two), and finished the regular season with the most sixes of any player in the tournament.
Smith was one of four players nominated by all eight coaches, along with Sixers fast bowler Sean Abbott, tournament MVP Matt Short, and Perth Scorchers batter Aaron Hardie.
Abbott became the first player in BBL history to reach 150 wickets this summer, while Short found success opening the bowling for the Adelaide Strikers and scored the most runs of any player by the end of the regular season.
Hardie, a future Australian representative, had a breakout season for the Scorchers, scoring four half-centuries.
The Scorchers, who hosted the grand final, contributed the most players to the team (three), while the Melbourne Stars and Sydney Thunder were the only teams not represented.
Aaron Finch was named captain after leading the Melbourne Renegades back to the BBL finals after finishing last for three years.
BBL team of the tournament
1 Matthew Short (Adelaide Strikers) – 8 votes
2 Steve Smith (Sydney Sixers) – 8 votes
3 Aaron Hardie (Perth Scorchers) – 8 votes
4 Aaron Finch (capt, Melbourne Renegades) – 6 votes
5 Josh Inglis (Perth Scorchers) – 7 votes
6 Tim David (Hobart Hurricanes) – 5 votes
7 Michael Neser (Brisbane Heat) – 5 votes
8 Sean Abbott (Sydney Sixers) – 8 votes
9 Andrew Tye (Perth Scorchers) – 5 votes
10 Tom Rogers (Melbourne Renegades) – 6 votes
11 Paddy Dooley (Hobart Hurricanes) – 5 votes
12 Chris Lynn (Adelaide Strikers) – 3 votes
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