BBL: Sixers Captain Henriques Reflects On Finals Woes And Calls For Introspection

BBL: Sixers captain Henriques reflects on finals woes and calls for introspection (Image Source: IANS)

Big Bash League: Sydney Sixers skipper Moises Henriques has urged his team to analyse their performances in the wake of yet another disappointing conclusion to a promising Big Bash League (BBL) campaign.

The Sixers were knocked out of the tournament following a loss to crosstown rivals Sydney Thunder in the Challenger at the SCG, marking another stumble in finals. Henriques stressed the need for the franchise to take a hard look at their inability to deliver under pressure, a trend that has persisted over the last three seasons.

The Sixers, who finished second in the regular season and earned a double chance to reach the final, faltered in back-to-back games against the Hobart Hurricanes in the Qualifier and the Thunder in the Challenger. Their defeat extended a worrying trend in finals, with the team winning just two out of nine matches in finals series since lifting their second consecutive title in the 2020-21 season.

“Unfortunately, we’ve saved our worst two performances for the last two games of the year,” Henriques said after the match. “We do have to have a look at how we’ve performed in finals the last three years because I don’t think our record is great now.”

Henriques acknowledged the consistent success of the team in the league stages but lamented their inability to capitalise on those opportunities. “I am proud that we’ve got a group that consistently puts us in a position to win the tournament. But unfortunately, this year, we weren’t good enough.”

The Sixers' debrief on the season began immediately after their loss. The team is set to enter the ten-day trade window with a full list of ten contracted players, leaving several key names like Jackson Bird, Daniel Hughes, Hayden Kerr, Ben Manenti and Kurtis Patterson as free agents.

“It’s the high-pressure nature of sport that you can’t always perform when you want to,” Henriques said. “Why we’ve been not able to play our best in these games is something we’re going to have to have a look at and discuss for a while because we’re not rushing off to anywhere. There’s a lot to learn from the last couple of days.”

Henriques expressed confidence in the group’s ability to bounce back next season, emphasising that many of the current players would remain part of the setup. “Some of the best learnings are in these situations because a lot of that group is going to be around again next year. Hopefully, we can put ourselves in a position next year to challenge again.”

Henriques refused to pin the blame for their losses on the absence of key players who were unavailable due to Australia’s international commitments. Steven Smith, Sean Abbott and Todd Murphy departed for the Sri Lanka tour after the regular season, leaving the Sixers without some of their star performers for the finals.

“When we won in 2019-2020, we had Smith, Lyon, and Hazlewood available for the finals. That’s not the case anymore, but that’s part of the game,” Henriques said. “The pinnacle of cricket is playing international sport for your country, and we’re very proud of the three guys that get selected. It’s a feather in our cap as a squad that these players want to play cricket for our team.”

Despite the absences, Henriques maintained confidence in the squad’s depth. “I still feel like we’ve got players that can win us the match when they go away. Even though we only had 12 players, somehow it was still a headache to try and pick 11 because of the quality of this group.”

Among the positives for the Sixers was the emergence of young English leg-spinner Jafer Chohan. Drafted in as a replacement, Chohan impressed in his four games, particularly in the finals, where he returned figures of 2 for 28 and 2 for 22 while conceding just one boundary in each match.

Despite the absences, Henriques maintained confidence in the squad’s depth. “I still feel like we’ve got players that can win us the match when they go away. Even though we only had 12 players, somehow it was still a headache to try and pick 11 because of the quality of this group.”

Article Source: IANS