By Jesse Hogan
Melbourne Stars face the daunting task of kickstarting their Big Bash League season on Sunday night on the road without their best batsman: Kevin Pietersen.
Having lost their first two matches the Stars are desperately hoping the calf injury Rob Quiney suffered two days before the Stars' first match, earlier this month, will have improved sufficiently for him to take the place of Pietersen for the SCG match against Sydney Sixers.
Key man: the Melbourne Stars need Rob Quiney to play against the Sixers. Credit: Getty Images
Stars captain David Hussey rated the veteran a 90 per cent chance of being able to replace Pietersen, who has returned to England for the birth of he and his wife's second child.
"I'm hoping he'd be like a jigsaw puzzle piece, and that Bobby would just slot straight back into No.3 without disturbing the team too much," Hussey said on Saturday.
"He said he ran [on Friday] and did a gym session the day before, so I'm certain he's pretty advanced in his rehabilitation from his calf ... I'm fully expecting him to get up and play."
If Quiney is unable to play, the Stars will either promote wicketkeeper Tom Triffitt and allow Peter Handscomb to play as a specialist batsman or select bowling all-rounder Evan Gulbis, whose late addition to the squad in place of Quiney would have to be approved by the BBL technical committee.
The Stars' other selection issue is whether to persist with Ben Hilfenhaus to complete their bowling attack, alongside John Hastings, Scott Boland and Adam Zampa, or whether to return to economical left-arm finger-spinner Michael Beer. The SCG's reputation for assisting spin is expected to see the latter earn a recall.
The match marks the start of a pivotal fortnight for the Stars. It will be followed by the first Melbourne derby, a home match against Hobart and then the second Melbourne derby.
Hussey described their first challenge, against the Sixers, as "probably a line-in-the-sand game for us for the season".
"We're relying too much on individual great innings, so we might need to tinker a bit with the batting order," he said.
"We've got to get our season started and get us playing consistent cricket. We're relying on too few to do too many big things in order for us to not only stay in the game but win games of cricket."
Two former Stars stalwarts will be facing their team for the first time: Greg Shipperd as coach and Jackson Bird as a new-ball bowler, in partnership with Doug Bollinger.
The Sixers have recovered from their loss to cross-town rivals Sydney Thunder in the first match of the season by crushing Hobart and then achieving a big chase away to Melbourne Renegades.
The Sixers have made one change to their squad from the December 23 match against the Renegades, adding emerging fast-bowler Ben Dwarshuis for uncapped spinner Riley Ayre.
SIXERS (from): Moises Henriques (c), Sean Abbott, Doug Bollinger, Johan Botha, Jackson Bird, Ryan Carters, Ben Dwarshuis, Brad Haddin, Trent Lawford, Michael Lumb, Nic Maddinson, Jordan Silk, Steve O'Keefe.
STARS (from): David Hussey (c), Michael Beer, Scott Boland, James Faulkner, Peter Handscomb, John Hastings, Ben Hilfenhaus, Glenn Maxwell, Rob Quiney, Marcus Stoinis, Tom Triffitt, Luke Wright, Adam Zampa.