Photo Credit: Sydney Sixers
Incoming Sydney Sixers coach Charlotte Edwards has been delivered her first major coup ahead of Weber WBBL|08 with the signature of World Cup winner Erin Burns on a new two-year deal.
The announcement of Burns’ return to the Sixers comes with exactly 100 Days to Go until the October 13 start of this year’s WBBL, the world’s premier cricket league for women.
Burns has had a roller coaster 12 months that saw her miss the entire WBBL season last summer, take out the NSW Breakers WNCL Player of the Tournament award and witness the birth of her first child, Jack, with partner Anna.
The 34-year-old all-rounder, regarded by many as the best fielder in women’s cricket, remained in Sydney immediately prior to the Hobart-based quarantine period that precursed last year’s WBBL and then found it impossible to join the Sixers squad, despite a myriad of State border exemption requests all over the country.
Edwards said Burns’ experience and enthusiasm would be a huge boost for the WBBL’s highest profile team as they look to bounce back from a last-placed finish in WBBL|07.
“I obviously wasn’t around last season but from speaking to some of our senior players, they definitely missed having Erin in the team,” Edwards said.
“Not only is she brilliant in all three facets of T20 cricket, but she is also a great contributor off the field too, whether that’s with the younger players, in a social setting or with our fans.
“She’s a very popular player and someone I see as able to help us consistently perform at our peak.”
Burns said she was looking forward to returning to the Sixers after last year’s enforced absence.
“I can’t wait to get back out there for the Sixers,” Burns said.
“We have such a great group of girls and such awesome fans. Every game is like a party atmosphere and I really did miss that last season.
“It was frustrating but that is behind us now and I am looking forward to working with Lotty (Edwards) and the rest of the team.”
The WBBL fixture is set to be announced in the coming days, with tickets for this summer’s Sixers WBBL and BBL matches on-sale to the public at 2pm, August 18 (AEST).
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Sydney Sixers WBBL Squad
Head Coach: Charlotte Edwards
Contracted for WBBL|08: Jade Allen, Nicole Bolton, Maitlan Brown, Erin Burns, Stella Campbell, Lauren Cheatle, Ash Gardner, Alyssa Healy
Name of Author: Sydney Sixers
The Sydney Sixers are an Australian professional Twenty20 cricket team competing in the Big Bash League (BBL). Based at the Sydney Cricket Ground, the Sixers, along with the Sydney Thunder, succeeded the New South Wales Blues from the now-defunct KFC Twenty20 Big Bash.
