Ponting picks his all-time BBL XI

Shaun Marsh (Scorchers)

Matches: 33 | Runs: 1307 | Ave: 50.26 | SR: 127.88 | HS: 99no | 100s: 0 | 50s: 13

Unbeaten Marsh steers Scorchers into final

The first guy I'm going to pick is Shaun Marsh. He averages over 50, has a strike rate of 127 and scores a half-century every two-and-a-half times he goes out to bat, the best ratio of anyone in the tournament. He's pretty hard to go past with those stats.

Aaron Finch (Renegades)

Matches: 40 | Runs: 1561 | Ave: 43.36 | SR: 139.25 | HS: 111 | 100s: 1 | 50s: 13

Finch guides Renegades with captain's knock

Aaron Finch is my other opener, giving me a left-hand, right-hand combination. He is such a dangerous player at the top of the order as we know. He’s got a very, very good strike rate and is the second-highest run scorer in the history of the BBL. So that’s a pretty formidable opening partnership there.

Chris Lynn (Heat)

Matches: 44 | Runs: 1412 | Ave: 41.52 | SR: 157.76 | HS: 101 | 100s: 1 | 50s: 11

Lynn goes bananas at the Gabba

Coming in at No.3 is Chris Lynn. He's got an average of about 42, a strike rate of nearly 160 and he's hit 94 sixes in BBL history. To put that into context, the next most number of sixes is 56 by Aaron Finch. So it's pretty hard to go past Chris Lynn, he's an exceptionally exciting player.

Brad Hodge (Strikers, Renegades, Stars)

Matches: 43 | Runs: 1344 | Ave: 43.35 | SR: 134.40 | HS: 88 | 100s: 0 | 50s: 11

Hodge wastes no time in Renegades return

Coming in at No.4 is Brad Hodge. He's got the fourth-highest average ever in the BBL history of about 43 and a strike rate of about 135. And he's one of only two players to have scored more than 500 runs at two clubs, so he'll bring plenty of experience to this team.

George Bailey (Hurricanes, Stars) (c)

Matches: 39 | Runs: 935 | Ave: 38.95 | SR: 133.19 | HS: 74no | 100s: 0 | 50s: 8

Bailey boosts Canes with speedy knock

Coming in at No.5 is the captain of my side, George Bailey. He's got an average close to 40, a strike rate of 135 and his experience in the middle order for this team will be vital.

Mitch Marsh (Scorchers)

Matches: 25 | Runs: 735 | Ave: 40.83 | SR: 129.62 | HS: 77no | 100s: 0 | 50s: 4 | Wkts: 10 | Ave: 42.90 | SR: 28.80 | RPO: 8.93 | BB: 2-15

Mitch Marsh's cameo powers Scorchers

I've got Mitchell Marsh coming in at No.6. He's the only player in Big Bash history to average more than 40 with the bat and take 10 wickets with the ball. He's a big, powerful, strong guy and you'd want him in at the back of any innings because he can clear the rope very easily.

Tim Paine (Hurricanes) (wk)

Matches: 41 | Runs: 1110 | Ave: 29.21 | SR: 122.65 | HS: 91 | 100s: 0 | 50s: 8 | Dis: 30 (22c, 8st)

Tim brings the pain for Canes

Coming in an No.7 is my wicketkeeper Tim Paine. He's got the most dismissals of any wicketkeeper in the competition and the most runs for a gloveman as well, and he's probably in career best form at the moment. He's the incumbent Australian T20 keeper right now too, so it's pretty hard to go past him.

Andrew Tye (Scorchers)

Matches: 32 | Wkts: 39 | Ave: 21.64 | SR: 18.4 | RPO: 7.03 | BB: 4-18

Terrific Tye's second BBL hat-trick

Coming in at No.8 is the first of my three bowlers, Andrew Tye. He's got 39 wickets in 32 matches and has one of the best economy rates in the competition as well. But what I like about him is his variations, his changes of pace and his yorkers at the death. He's someone you can count on so he's in my side.

Ben Laughlin (Strikers, Hurricanes)

Matches: 50 | Wkts: 69 | Ave: 19.04 | SR: 15.0 | RPO: 7.61 | BB: 4-31

Lively Laughlin finishes off hapless Thunder

Coming in at No.9 is Ben Laughlin, who has the most wickets in BBL history with 69 in 50 games. A bit like Tye, his variations and slower balls and yorkers means he's someone you can use at different stages of an innings. And he's a good fieldsman as well, so he gets a spot.

Brad Hogg (Scorchers, Renegades)

Matches: 52 | Wkts: 54 | Ave: 22.87 | SR: 21.4 | RPO: 6.39 | BB: 4-29

Hogg quick to make an impact

Coming in at No.10 is the evergreen Brad Hogg, who I think is heading into nearly his 47th year of BBL cricket this season! He's got the second-most wickets in competition history as well as the best economy rate of guys to have bowled more than 70 overs. He's going as good as ever and still no one can pick his wrong un. He’s had such a fantastic career, brings so much energy to the field, the crowds love him and he'd be great to have in your team.

Jason Behrendorff (Scorchers)

Matches: 32 | Wkts: 45 | Ave: 19.02 | SR: 16.4 | RPO: 6.95 | BB: 4-22

Behrendorff makes crucial early strikes

Jason Behrendorff fills the final spot simply because of his ability to take wickets with the new ball. The Scorchers use him quite often for a four-over spell up front and it's very rare that he doesn't pick up two or three wickets in the Power Play. So he's a must have with the new ball.

*Ponting assembled this team prior to the BBL|07 campaign kicking off