Melbourne Stars CEO Clint Cooper has pulled no punches regarding his team’s performance in BBL 07, conceding their eight wicket defeat to fellow cellar dweller Sydney Sixers was embarrassing.
An all too familiar early batting collapse saw the home side restricted to 128, before the Sixers polished off the total with 35 balls to spare and with the loss of just two wickets, to send the Stars to their sixth loss in seven matches.
“As an entire club we’re extremely disappointed, to the point of being embarrassed about the way we played last night and what we delivered up to our fans, members and corporate partners,” Cooper told SEN Drive.
Cooper admitted the side has failed to deliver in most areas of their game, but is optimistic for the future, particularly regarding the bowling attack.
“We’ve been successful in making the finals each of the last six seasons, but this year we haven’t lived up to those expectations, despite going into the season with the highest of expectations and having a real tilt at the finals,” he said.
“T20 is a brutal game. We’ve certainly not seen the firepower we desired from the top three in our batting order. Equally our bowlers haven’t had a lot to defend.
“Having said that there has been some great surprise packets that have come out which holds us in good stead for the future. Jackson Coleman has come out of nowhere, while Dan Worrall finally getting fit and showing why he will be such a potent bowler into the future of Big Bash.”
He confirmed the club is busy scouring around the league for potential out of contract players of interest, however any possible move for controversial West Indian batsman Chris Gayle to replace the retiring Kevin Pietersen has all but been ruled out.
“Chris is obviously a great T20 cricketer, [but] look I doubt it to be honest,” Cooper said.
“He’s a fantastic player, but where we are now, he probably doesn’t fit with where we are going forward, and we’ll just consider all international players and how their availability fits in.”
To hear Clint Cooper's chat with the guys on SEN Drive listen in the player below: