WA Cricket General Manager of High Performance Kade Harvey says recruiting top-order batsman is a priority of the Scorchers ahead of this weekend’s BBL and WBBL draft. 

The Scorchers’ mens’ side will head into Sunday night’s draft with picks 7, 15, 18 and 31, while the women have been allocated picks 8, 16, 17 and 32 in a lottery was held in June to determine the order. 

Kiwi batters Finn Allen and Sophie Devine have also signed on with the Scorchers during the newly implemented pre-draft signing period, locking them away at the Furnace for two seasons.

Speaking ahead of the draft, Harvey says while premium tier talent is valued, considerations like availability and team balance will come into play when making selections, especially on platnium players, on Sunday night. 

“We’ve certainly looked at that category this year in the pre-sign option, that’s probably how the draft plays out a little bit. In the past, and it certainly hasn’t really changed our end,” he told SportFM. 

“Philosophically we really value our local domestic talent. We’ve got a deep pool of local players who have a lot of international experience. We’re always trying to get the balance right between the right skill set for us, player availability and really respecting the playing group that are with us 12 months of the year. 

“That’s always been a bit of a juggle but certainly this year the availability of players has been challenging and we’re certainly valuing full availability and that just may cost us a bit more at the draft this year.” 

Scorchers fans can look forward to seeing more top-end batting talent being recruited and prioritised ahead of bowling talent in the draft.

In recent years, the Scorchers bowling line up has run deep, and often left talented bowlers on the fringe of selection for the final XI. 

However, the batting is a different story, with the likes of Mitch Marsh and Cameron Green reducing the depth within the batting stocks due to international duties.

“The top of the order has probably been a little bit of a challenge for us,” said Harvey.

“We’ve asked some pretty good overseas players to come and open the batting at the Optus Stadium. We’re always really mindful of that, but it is such an important role for us. 

“It’s been part of our success over the last few years to try and be a little bit more aggressive up the top, and certainly Finn’s a big presence. 

“He’s a big man and he’s got some power and he’s got some game. We’re really, really pleased to be able to secure him for the next two years. I think he’s someone that will mean that teams maybe have to bowl to us slightly differently in terms of he’s really strong with spin up front. 

“That’s just something that really fits in nicely to the balance of our team and I’m looking forward to getting him into the orange and black.

Fan-favourite and English powerhitter Laurie Evans is still on the table ahead of the draft with many clubs certainly eying him off after his stellar last few seasons in the orange.

Last season, Evans made 292 runs in seven innings at a strike rate of 189.61 before ITL20 commitments ruled him out of finals. Among those stats included his stellar innings in which he thumped a remarkable 85 runs from 28 balls. 

He also holds the record for the highest bating average in the Big Bash League, making him a hot prospect for any Big Bash club. 

While the Scorchers are keen to bring him back to the West, availability will come into play. 

“Laurie’s still certainly in the frame for us. We’ve found the different levels that the players enter into the draft, does impact where they can get picked,” said Harvey. 

“We feel Laurie is still available at a level that we can get in. We’re just not sure if he’s going to get to us. That’s probably the challenge, given how strong he has been in the in the BBL competition over the last few years.

“It certainly doesn’t preclude us from going for Laurie. It’s one of those things where we are weighing up, that maybe the better player with less availability and a less experienced player who’s available for the whole tournament. “They’re the things we wrestle with every year and that certainly hasn’t been any different this year.”

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