The big guns cult hero wants to see in BBL

Former Big Bash League cult hero Brad Hogg wants the likes of Ben Stokes, Eoin Morgan and Babar Azam to be attracted back to the competition and says Cricket Australia needs to get more serious about luring blockbuster talent.

While the former Perth Scorchers and Melbourne Renegades left-arm wrist-spinner doesn't like seeing overseas talent steal the spots of homegrown guns on the rise, he says some clubs lack depth and need a boost.

Brendon McCullum, Jacques Kallis, AB de Villiers, Dale Steyn, Andrew Flintoff, Kumar Sangakkara, Mahela Jayawardene and Muttiah Muralitharan are among the international BBL stars of yesteryear.

But Mohammad Nabi, Jonny Bairstow, Jason Holder and Imran Tahir are the only overseas players registered for BBL10 who've played 150 or more international matches, with the likes of Tom Banton, Lewis Gregory, Danny Briggs and Zahir Khan among the rest.

Hogg says Cricket Australia must put the big guns on its radar.

"Ben Stokes, Eoin Morgan and Babar Azam would all be huge for the Big Bash so they're the players Cricket Australia need to be chasing," Hogg told Wide World of Sports.

"It's about getting bums on seats, getting eyeballs glued to the TV and getting people interested in what's going on in the Big Bash – and those are the kinds of players who are perfect for that.

"Chris Gayle is a player who used to be here and who draws people to games with what he does and says on and off the field. Kevin Pietersen is another one: a match-winner on the field who is also really willing in his commentary."

The Scorchers, who Hogg represented in BBL02, BBL03 and BBL04, are one club the two-time ODI World Cup winner believes has a complement of Australian talent worth prioritising.

But he says the likes of Stokes, Morgan and Azam would be massive wins for the struggling outfits.

"I don't like the big overseas stars coming to clubs full with star homegrown talent on the rise, like the Scorchers who have about seven potential Australia representatives contesting for three positions in the batting line-up," Hogg said.

"But the depth of some other clubs is really tested and could really do with bigger international names than what we're seeing."

Hogg also weighed into the debate surrounding the three new rules recently introduced to the BBL: the Power Surge, X-Factor and Bash Boost.

"Anyone new to the game isn't going to have a clue trying to figure out how the new rules work," Hogg said.

"Cricket is already a complex game as it is and the new rules are unnecessary and really muddle things up.

"I like the idea of getting a bonus point if you win by a certain margin in wickets or runs, but giving a team a bonus point for being on track at halfway through the run-chase is confusing and far from significant."