How to replace Rashid Khan? Over to you, Cameron Boyce

There was widespread shock when Afghanistan legspinner Rashid Khan withdrew from the BBL due to back surgery.

Some pundits had even crossed off Adelaide Strikers as a title contender given Rashid's undeniable importance as the focal point of their attack for many years.

He was obviously going to leave a giant chasm with the burden seemingly falling on experienced legspinner Cameron Boyce, who ahead of the previous season had been given a lifeline by Strikers wanting suitable cover for Rashid.

But Boyce, 34, remained unfazed and he wasn't going to feel suffocated by pressure at this juncture of his career.

"It didn't really affect what I was going to do," Boyce told ESPNcricinfo about how he felt when hearing of Rashid's withdrawal. "I was under the impression that if I was playing I would just play my role. It was pretty clear for me and there wasn't really much thought around my role being different if he was here or not."

Boyce takes a pragmatic approach these days after a rollercoaster ride having once been a much-hyped prospect, where he was cursed with the label of the 'next Shane Warne', while he played seven T20Is for Australia from 2014-16 before his career was derailed by injuries.

But he's been able to prolong a BBL career that appeared over several times, most recently two seasons ago when he was cut by Melbourne Renegades on the day he took four wickets in as many balls.

He's grateful for being able to salvage his BBL career, while enjoying spending the rest of the year living a "normal life" as a family man and studying for an MBA.

"I've been bowling leggies since I was 15. So I feel like I just know my game, I can just prepare the way I need to," Boyce said. "Sometimes it's almost refreshing just rocking up with no expectations and not playing all year round. Then turn up and try and get some of the big boys out.

"It's pretty fun. I quite enjoy having that prep and I don't think I will be changing that."

Boyce has proven to be a stabilising figure for Strikers, who have defied Rashid's absence and a poor start to the season to power into Saturday's knockout final against two-time defending champions Perth Scorchers at Optus Stadium.

He replaced Rashid about as well as possible with Boyce named in the BBL's team of the tournament. Only left-arm spinners Steve O'Keefe and Matthew Kuhnemann have a better economy than Boyce's 6.37 for bowlers with more than 20 overs.

Boyce has been invaluable bowling after the powerplay and through the middle overs. He's summoned his wealth of experience to outfox batters by taking the pace off and bowling at speeds around 80kph. Boyce has the courage to flight the ball, but he's rarely been clobbered.

In consecutive crunch late season games against Hobart Hurricanes, who were also jockeying for a finals berth, he did not concede a boundary across eight overs and bowled 22 dot balls.

"I think naturally as you get older your pace drops a little bit," Boyce said. "I feel like my plans are really clear. I'm bowling a little bit slower but it's not something that I'm consciously thinking about. I feel like one of my strengths is to adapt to the situation and figure out where batters are trying to hit me."

Boyce's performances have been particularly impressive given the Adelaide Oval can be unforgiving for bowlers with its short boundaries square of the wicket.

Boyce produced one of the most astounding bowling efforts of the season with 1 for 15 from 4 overs at home against Melbourne Stars in a New Year's Eve clash yielding 416 runs. No other Strikers bowler had an economy of under 10 as Stars chased down 206 with an over to spare.

"I just try to stick to my plans, focusing on a little bit more overspin and just get guys to hit straight," he said about bowling at the Adelaide Oval. "I don't reckon there's many places anymore in BBL that are nice to bowl unless the wicket is low and slow.

"The boundaries are getting smaller, the bats are getting bigger and the boys are getting stronger. So it's a really hard job."

Boyce will next confront another batting-friendly ground with Optus Stadium's hard surface particularly troublesome for spinners. Sixers opted for seamer Jackson Bird instead of in-form O'Keefe in their remarkable victory over Scorchers on Tuesday to clinch second spot.

Strikers are similarly faced with a selection dilemma with the late season inclusion of legspinner Lloyd Pope helping turn around their season.

"I feel like we feed off each other," Boyce said of Pope, who took 4 for 22 against Sydney Thunder in Strikers' last regular season match. "It's also been nice having someone to talk spin bowling to as well."

At some stage, Boyce will likely confront Scorchers' best batters Aaron Hardie and Josh Inglis who both like taking the aerial route against spin. Earlier this month in Adelaide, the pair combined to smash Boyce for three sixes as he finished with rare expensive figures of 1 for 36 off four overs. Boyce has only been hit for eight sixes in nine games this season.

He had fared slightly better just a couple of days earlier at Optus Stadium to concede 28 runs off four overs - although Hardie smashed him once into the stands - to be spared the brunt of Scorchers' massive 211 for 4.

"I think it's going to be a high-scoring game again. So we just need to make sure our plans are clear and hopefully limit them as much as we can," Boyce said with the teams splitting their matches this season.

Boyce's starring role this season should see him extend his long BBL career, which started with Strikers in late 2012, but coaching might eventually beckon having had a taste during the recently completed WBBL season.

Headhunted by Brisbane Heat coach Ashley Noffke, Boyce started off working with the team's spinners before he was given a more expansive role.

"I've built some really good relationships with a lot of the girls," Boyce said with Heat finishing runners-up to Strikers after an epic final. "I think some of the girls are naturally drawn to me because I am still playing. I understand the highs and lows and can understand what they've gone through.

"I found it really enjoyable and definitely something that I would want to pursue over the next few years. But I feel like I've got a little bit of cricket left."

Right now, he's hoping there are three games left for Strikers, who are aiming to add to their lone trophy from BBL 07. Having won a BBL title with Renegades five years ago, Boyce has experienced the championship feeling but a triumph with Strikers would be extra special.

"My BBL journey started with the Strikers. I'm certainly excited about the fact that I can win a flag here," he said. "We probably owe it to our fans, it's been a while since we challenged. We've got some momentum now and can run with that, so hopefully we can get through to the final."