Is Nick Buchanan the X-Factor?

Today's Sunday Mail claimed that he is.

What do you think?

Ive not really followed him after Art Attack

Was Art Attack any good?

THE "bigger" Big Bash hits off next week with something far more important than bragging rights at stake.

The on-field battle will be nothing compared to the war being waged to regain a generation of fans.

Australia has been slow off the mark with Twenty20 - the Indian Premier League set the trend in 2008.

Now, almost overnight, cricket bosses here have realised T20 could be the pathway to luring new fans and reconnecting with lost ones.

A stakeholder talk-fest last year delivered a sobering warning: cricket had become complacent, was out of touch with schoolchildren and women, had taken itself too seriously and conceded major ground to other sports such as football's A-League.

Officials hit on the new Big Bash League as the answer, with eight city-based franchises springing up to wipe out the old state boundaries.

The talk of tribal passions and local derbies is a huge shift from what cricket has traditionally offered. T20 franchises were even banned from wearing their state colours.

There have been plenty of growing pains in the rush to set up the venture. The blueprint of a private investment model was tossed out when dollar problems threatened to derail progress. The new league will lose money in the first few years and it will be underwritten by Cricket Australia and the states.

Ironically, cricket will also compete against itself, with Australia's blockbuster four-Test series against India running almost simultaneously to the revamped Big Bash.

Marketing bosses say that if the sawn-off game can help cricket attract more kids and women, that would be a major success.

Big crowds and pay TV audiences are almost certain for week one, even if just for the curiosity factor of watching Shane Warne bowl to Matthew Hayden. The key will be maintaining interest after Boxing Day, when the Indian Tests hit off and big-name Australian players become unavailable.

THE HEAT IS ON
Ben Dorries rates the Brisbane outfit and their rivals
BRISBANE HEAT

THE ACE: Dan Christian/Brendon McCullum. Take your pick between the powerful indigenous allrounder - a $900,000 IPL signing - and the exciting Kiwi opener who can demolish any attack.

THE X-FACTOR: Nick Buchanan. The 20-year-old son of former Australian coach John is a 196cm, 103kg giant who can smash the ball a mile and bowl at speeds approaching 150km/h.

ARE YOU SERIOUS?: Nathan Hauritz. Offspinner who bagged Queensland when he left a few years ago. Not a patch on the Heat's other spin signing, Kiwi Dan Vettori.

TATTSBET ODDS: $6

VERDICT: Will perform or perish on the strength of the McCullum/Matthew Hayden opening partnership. If the tattooed Kiwi and the 40-year-old former Test opener can launch a punishing combo, players like Christian, Buchanan, James Hopes and Peter Forrest can capitalise.

HOBART HURRICANES

THE ACE: Mark Cosgrove. The big man may not be a leopard in the field but he can whack a ball and set the aggressive tone for the men from the Apple Isle.

THE X-FACTOR: Naved-ul-Hasan. Pakistani who has the worst hair in world cricket but can bowl a superb reverse-swinging yorker

ARE YOU SERIOUS?: Phil Jaques. His best batting days are behind him and one of the worst fieldsmen Australia has seen.

TATTSBET ODDS: $8

VERDICT: Lock them in for the wooden spoon. Not enough talent or depth and their top signing Ricky Ponting may play just one game.

MELBOURNE RENEGADES

THE ACE: Shahid Afridi. One of the few Pakistani cricketers not smeared by the spot fixing crisis, the enigmatic allrounder can belt a ball into the next suburb and his bounding, zipping spin can be impossible to pick.

THE X-FACTOR: Shaun Tait. Spends much of the year in India shacked up with a Mumbai model, so should be as fresh as a daisy and can still bowl at a scary pace.

ARE YOU SERIOUS?: Graham Manou. Wicketkeeper-batsman whose best days are behind him. Was so anonymous during the Ashes in 2009 that a ground announcer called him "Garry Manou".

TATTSBET ODDS: $6

VERDICT: Not without a blowout chance but will be thought of as the poorer crosstown cousins to Shane Warne's Melbourne Stars. Face a losing battle for the hearts of Melbourne fans.

PERTH SCORCHERS

THE ACE: Mitchell Marsh. Will become the best cricketer in his family, no small boast considering Geoff is his father and Shaun his brother. The allrounder is the most naturally gifted and exciting young player since Ponting was a teenager.

THE X-FACTOR: Herschelle Gibbs. Wrote a book about the sex orgies and marijuana sessions of the South African team - but is a batting superstar when his mind is on the game.

ARE YOU SERIOUS? Simon Katich. Puhlease. Enough said. Move on.

TATTSBET ODDS: $8

VERDICT: May well have pulled a masterstroke by investing in crafty former England international Paul Collingwood and banking on locals such as Nathan Coulter-Nile and Tom Beaton. Not the worst.

SYDNEY SIXERS

THE ACE: Dwayne Bravo. West Indian who has been there, done that in Twenty20 and will have vital roles with bat and ball.

THE X-FACTOR: Would have been teen pace prince Pat Cummins but for his injury. Instead let's go for Brett Lee - past his best put can still be lethal in short bursts.

ARE YOU SERIOUS?: Stuart MacGill. Should have stayed in his wine cellar, wasn't a T20 gun in his prime so he will be cannon fodder at age 40.

TATTSBET ODDS: $8

VERDICT: A few Australian players on their books - which won't help much as they will hardly be sighted. Take out the Aussie stars and they resemble a modest state side.

MELBOURNE STARS

THE ACE: Shane Warne. If nothing else, he will put bums on seats at the MCG. And his old magic was still there when he last played the IPL. Has dropped a stack of kilos and will be doing his darndest to impress Liz Hurley

THE X-FACTOR: Matthew Wade. A future Australian wicketkeeper who has been in fabulous batting form, especially in the limited overs formats.

ARE YOU SERIOUS?: Jon Holland. Left-arm spinner who has gone off the boil and is just there to run water for Warne.

TATTSBET ODDS: $5.

VERDICT: False favourites because of the Warne hype but there is a good look about their squad. No chance of games ending in bad light - Warne's shiny teeth will light up the ground.

ADELAIDE STRIKERS

THE ACE: Kieron Pollard. Calypso master blaster who you would pay good dollars to watch. Hits the ball further than anyone.

THE X-FACTOR: Nathan Lyon. Canny spinner who flew under the radar to play a key T20 role last year but will be kept under notice this time, and may be away on Australian duties more often than not.

ARE YOU SERIOUS?: Bryce McGain. The legspinner is now 39 and will find this much harder than when he was belted for a stack of sixes in his only Test in 2009.

TATTSBET ODDS: $7

VERDICT: Among the fancies after wining the prequel to the BBL last year. Will take the bulk of the Champions League T20 line-up into the new comp and be hard to beat.

SYDNEY THUNDER

THE ACE: Chris Gayle/Dave Warner. It's a master blasters' monster mash at the top of the order. Either of these blokes can go off like a cheap alarm clock.

THE X-FACTOR: Ben Dunk. Queensland keeper-batsman who doesn't have a big profile yet but is a highly talented limited overs dasher and an exciting player of the future.

ARE YOU SERIOUS?: Craig Phillipson. Batsman who never hit any great heights in Queensland and no reason to think things will change here.

TATTSBET ODDS: $6

VERDICT: Will play out of the Olympic Stadium at Homebush and this looks like being a cricket fortress for them. Oozing top-end talent but will also need some of their lesser lights to make an impact.

garqing desperate for X Factors

Did Horace write this article?

ARE YOU SERIOUS? Simon Katich. Puhlease. Enough said. Move on.

THE X-FACTOR: Nick Buchanan. The 20-year-old son of former Australian coach John is a 196cm, 103kg giant who can smash the ball a mile and bowl at speeds approaching 150km/h.

PMSL. Better than Sobers then?

THE X-FACTOR: Shaun Tait. Spends much of the year in India shacked up with a Mumbai model, so should be as fresh as a daisy and can still bowl at a scary pace.

But does he have the STAMINA?

THE X-FACTOR: Herschelle Gibbs. Wrote a book about the sex orgies and marijuana sessions of the South African team - but is a batting superstar when his mind is on the game.

if Nick Buchanan is that good, how come he can't get a Shield game for Qld?

Nath wrote:if Nick Buchanan is that good, how come he can't get a Shield game for Qld?

There is a very good reason for that. He has been out of action with an injury for the past two seasons. Undoubtedly it was caused by an incompetent physio. He only resumed about two weeks & picked up 4/17 in his first game back in the Brisbane first grade competition.

Honest.

True story.

Read about it .............. HERE

Well, it seems like the younger they are, the better the Buchanan's get at cricket.

So is he "Todd" or "Rod"?

Is Nick the one who attracted interest from the Queensland Reds? Maybe he hasn't 100% committed to either sport yet.

embee wrote:THE "bigger" Big Bash hits off next week with something far more important than bragging rights at stake.

The on-field battle will be nothing compared to the war being waged to regain a generation of fans.

Australia has been slow off the mark with Twenty20 - the Indian Premier League set the trend in 2008.

Now, almost overnight, cricket bosses here have realised T20 could be the pathway to luring new fans and reconnecting with lost ones.

A stakeholder talk-fest last year delivered a sobering warning: cricket had become complacent, was out of touch with schoolchildren and women, had taken itself too seriously and conceded major ground to other sports such as football's A-League.

Officials hit on the new Big Bash League as the answer, with eight city-based franchises springing up to wipe out the old state boundaries.

The talk of tribal passions and local derbies is a huge shift from what cricket has traditionally offered. T20 franchises were even banned from wearing their state colours.

There have been plenty of growing pains in the rush to set up the venture. The blueprint of a private investment model was tossed out when dollar problems threatened to derail progress. The new league will lose money in the first few years and it will be underwritten by Cricket Australia and the states.

Ironically, cricket will also compete against itself, with Australia's blockbuster four-Test series against India running almost simultaneously to the revamped Big Bash.

Marketing bosses say that if the sawn-off game can help cricket attract more kids and women, that would be a major success.

Big crowds and pay TV audiences are almost certain for week one, even if just for the curiosity factor of watching Shane Warne bowl to Matthew Hayden. The key will be maintaining interest after Boxing Day, when the Indian Tests hit off and big-name Australian players become unavailable.

THE HEAT IS ON
Ben Dorries rates the Brisbane outfit and their rivals
BRISBANE HEAT

THE ACE: Dan Christian/Brendon McCullum. Take your pick between the powerful indigenous allrounder - a $900,000 IPL signing - and the exciting Kiwi opener who can demolish any attack.

THE X-FACTOR: Nick Buchanan. The 20-year-old son of former Australian coach John is a 196cm, 103kg giant who can smash the ball a mile and bowl at speeds approaching 150km/h.

ARE YOU SERIOUS?: Nathan Hauritz. Offspinner who bagged Queensland when he left a few years ago. Not a patch on the Heat's other spin signing, Kiwi Dan Vettori.

TATTSBET ODDS: $6

VERDICT: Will perform or perish on the strength of the McCullum/Matthew Hayden opening partnership. If the tattooed Kiwi and the 40-year-old former Test opener can launch a punishing combo, players like Christian, Buchanan, James Hopes and Peter Forrest can capitalise.

HOBART HURRICANES

THE ACE: Mark Cosgrove. The big man may not be a leopard in the field ...

leopard seal, now ...