New world leading T20 run scorer Brad Hodge suggests the bigggest danger for his rampaging Melbourne Stars Big Bash team is that it’s too talented for its own good.
Coming off Wednesday night’s emphatic win over the hapless Sydney Thunder at ANZ Stadium, Hodge warns the Stars will be hurt by international call-ups once Australia’s one-day series starts against England.
The Stars are the only team with maximum points, and 39-year-old Hodge was instrumental in the victory over the Thunder, smashing 64 off just 36 balls.
He belted five sixes and four fours, as the Stars reached their target of 156 with five deliveries to spare.
In the process, former Test batsman Hodge snuck past West Indies power hitter Chris Gayle to take the lead for the most T20 runs ever scored by an individual with 5770 (from 204 matches at 33.22 average).
The Stars fielded a full team of internationals in their second game against the Sydney Sixers and Marcus Stoinis was the only player without senior international experience in the side that vanquished the Thunder.
With Glenn Maxwell, James Faulkner and Clint McKay called into the Australian squad for this month’s five-match one-day series against England, their depth will be tested.
“It’s a pretty good side, absolutely. It’s a well constructed side,” Hodge said of the Stars.
“It’s pretty hard to find a hole in it. But we’ll lose a coupe of our players to the internationals, so that hurts us a little bit.
“That’s what the competition is about, trying to use your players and maximise your squad.
“We got to the semi-finals last year and lost a pile of players and ended up losing.
“You can look at our side now, but its going to be different in a couple of weeks time.”
Thunder skipper Mike Hussey was frustrated, as his side slipped to an 0-3 record and their two-year losing streak in the tournament stretched to 16 matches.
Hussey, who has scored back-to-back half centuries in the Thunder’s last two games, said his team had a choice in how they moved forward.
“We can either bow our heads and feel sorry for ourselves and get down on ourselves and start arguing, or we can remain positive,” Hussey said.
“Keep backing each other, keep remaining positive and keep trying to play our brand of cricket and I’m sure that’s what we will do and hopefully that luck will turn for us.’
