‘I’ve always kind of envied them’: Kane Richardson ditches the hatred to join the Sixers for this season’s BBL

Kane Richardson always “envied” the Sixers and occasionally hated them when they were his opposition, but the veteran quick is ready to learn the secret sauce that has made them so successful after making the big BBL move this summer. The Sixers have been the most consistent team in the competition over the years, with the men in magenta winning three titles and finishing in the top two in each of the past six regular seasons. They have another strong squad this year, with Richardson making the move north after lengthy stints with the Strikers and Renegades. “I haven’t worn much pink in my life, so it’s nice at this age to put some on and have an excuse to wear it. It’s a good colour,” he said ahead of the season opener in Perth. “When I’ve come up against them, I’ve always kind of envied them through the success the Sixers have had so it’s nice to join them and hopefully have a bit more.” Richardson respected the Sixers every time he played them, but there was also a sense of hatred and frustration knowing that they were so hard to beat. “It wasn’t through disliking the personnel, but was more a case that you felt you could never beat them,” he explained. “If you felt you had them on toast, they would always kick back and make it a game. “It’s a team that I’ve always respected. There are numerous teams around the world that have that identity, but Sydney for some reason since year one have always had it so it’s nice to be on their side.” Richardson, 34, spent eight seasons at the Renegades but knew the time was right to move on. “I knew the change was coming in Melbourne through a lack of success there,” he said. “I was pretty open-minded to playing on, but I was also open-minded to not playing on. But when this opportunity came up, it was too good to not have a go at for a year. “It’s a club built on success, so for me at this age, it will be nice to experience that one more time.” While T20 cricket lends itself to mass roster change every year, the Sixers have always had a strong core of players led by Moises Henriques who is the most capped BBL player of all time. He’s been there for all the highs and the very rare lows but still can’t put his finger on why they’ve been so consistent. “I don’t really know how it’s happened,” he said. “We’ve had the old pick and stick policy for a lot of it, but we’ve also been blessed that a lot of the players that we’ve picked have performed and done well. “We’ve got a lot of really good people at the club. I know a lot of people say that, but I think everyone genuinely gets a bit excited when they come together at this time of year. “Someone like Jordan Silk, I think it would be pretty easy for opposition teams to under rate him as a player, but everyone gets a lot of energy from seeing him come back home, and he gets a lot of energy as well. “Even the guys that we pick up from interstate, we try not to pick them up for one or two years because it’s really hard to get that buy-in for a year and players end up feeling that they’re coming to collect (a pay cheque) and leave. “We want them to come down here and feel like a family. The longer you’re part of a culture, the more you feel connected to that. That’s what we’ve tried to create.”