The Perth Scorchers will unveil a new-look bowling line-up for their season opener against the Sydney Sixers with former Melbourne Stars seamer Brody Couch to make his debut.
Perth Scorchers captain Ashton Turner won the bat flip and elected to bowl first in the rain-shortened 11 over a side match which had been affected by a severe downpour and lightning.
Couch will be joined by returning left-arm West Australian Joel Paris, while exciting young quick Mahli Beardman will play his third game.
It is the first time the Scorchers have played without at least one of AJ Tye, Jason Behrendorff or Jhye Richardson since January of 2018.
Tye and Behrendorff will line up for the Melbourne Renegades this season, while Richardson is in Adelaide with the Australian Test team despite not being in the squad.
Perth will also welcome back Englishman Laurie Evans, while Australian Twenty20 captain Mitch Marsh will open the batting alongside New Zealander Finn Allen.
All-rounder Cooper Connolly will bat at No.3, while Aaron Hardie, Turner, Evans and Nick Hobson will be in the middle order.
The Sixers are unveiling a big recruit of their own in former Pakistan batter Babar Azam who will open the batting alognside Daniel Hughes, with former Scorcher Josh Philippe at No.3.
PERTH SCORCHERS XI: Mitch Marsh, Finn Allen, Cooper Connolly, Aaron Hardie, Ashton Turner, Laurie Evans, Nick Hobson, Ashton Agar, Joel Paris, Brody Couch, Mahli Beardman
SYDNEY SIXERS XI: Babar Azam, Daniel Hughes, Josh Philippe, Moises Henriques, Lachlan Shaw, Jack Edwards, Ben Dwarshuis, Joel Davies, Charlie Stobo, Mitch Perry, Todd Murphy
https://thewest.com.au/sport/perth-scorchers/big-bash-league-perth-scorchers-name-debutant-against-sydney-sixers-and-bowl-first-c-20999684
