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Australia’s fourth highest wicket-taker in Tests and the recently retired Mitchell Johnson would be unavailable for this season of the Big Bash League (BBL). Johnson, is has been reported, wants to give his body a rest and spend some time with his family, after what has been an exhausting Aussie schedule that began with the Indian tour last year.
Australia, since then, have played 4 Tests against India, followed by a triangular series involving England, the World Cup, a Test series in the West Indies, the Ashes, the domestic Matador Cup, and then the series against New Zealand. All of these games saw Mitchell Johnson spearheading the Aussie bowling attack.
Johnson was supposed to play for his home club, the Perth Scorchers, who have had a terrific time at the BBL winning the last two tournaments of the four being played in total. "[It] is a real shame because I think everyone in Australia was hoping he'd play," Scorchers coach Justin Langer said.
The BBL is scheduled to run parallel to the Australian International Calendar this year, which means that many of the players who were supposed to play for the Scorchers won’t be able to play this season, namely Adam Voges, Mitchell Marsh, Nathan Coulter-Nile and Shaun Marsh.
Devoid of Johnson notwithstanding, the head of the BBL Anthony Everard, believes that this season would be as big as the previous four, if not any bigger. With the likes of Kevin Pietersen, Chris Gayle, Jacques Kallis, and Kumar Sangakkara, Anthony believes, and so he should, that the season has got a lot to offer.
Scorchers’ squad will also be reinforced by the arrival of the English all-rounder David Willey who has had a good time with the England ODI side as they have reinvigorated themselves under Eoin Morgan.
"You can just start to feel it heating up," Langer said. "We've got a good crew of players. Again, the expectations are very high, and that's good. A lot will depend on who's playing for Australia and if we can get our best guys on the park."
The Big Bash League commences on December 17, with Sydney Thunder taking on Sydney Sixers at Sydney while the Scorchers open their campaign against the Adelaide Strikers on December 21 in Perth.
