Photo Credit: CWI, Instagram Photos of @opope32 and @lizelle.lee67
Sixers secure Hosein for KFC BBL|14
The Sydney Sixers have locked in another key piece of their KFC BBL|14 squad, securing West Indies spinner, Akeal Hosein, for the upcoming season.
The Trinidadian joins the Sixers as an overseas pre-signing, secured under the league’s newly introduced rule, permitting one international player to be signed by each club ahead of the BBL|14 Draft in September.
Currently the #6 ranked T20I bowler in the world, Hosein returns to the Big Bash after two seasons with the Melbourne Renegades.
A crafty left-arm tweaker, Hosein made his mark in his first Big Bash summer, collecting 13 wickets (at 6.46) and snaring a handful of three-wicket hauls across his nine matches in BBL|12.
The 31-year-old is set to be reunited in Sydney with his Washington Freedom title-winning captain – and recently re-signed Sixers star – Steve Smith, as well as Washington teammate Jack Edwards and former Freedom head coach, Greg Shipperd.
Born and raised in Laventille, a suburb in Trinidad and Tobago’s capital, Port-of-Spain, Hosein’s personal story of resilience and his rise to the international stage, is one that has inspired many within the cricketing world.
First called upon to represent the West Indies at the Under-19 World Cup in 2012, the spinner spent the early years of his career toiling at first-class level, eventually earning contracts with the Barbados Tridents and Trinbago Knight Riders in the Caribbean Premier League.
Making his international debut for the West Indies in 2021, Hosein now has over 90 international appearances and 105 wickets under his belt.
A leading wicket-taker in the 2024 edition of the Hundred, the left-armer helped to lead the Southern Brave to the competition’s Final earlier this month, snaring 12 wickets in nine outings for the side.
Sixers General Manager, Rachael Haynes said the club was extremely pleased to have secured the signature of the star for the upcoming season.
“We’re thrilled to have Akeal on board with the club this summer.
“With the retirement of Steve O’Keefe last season, we identified a gap for us to fill and Akeal is going to play a key role for us in that position.
“We expect him to bowl some really important overs for us, but we also know he’s a talented fielder and a capable tail-end batter who’ll be able to provide crucial runs in the back end of an innings if required.
“Aside from being one of the best spinners in the world, we know Hosein is a great team person and someone who will fit in well with our group and our fans will love to watch this summer.”
Hosein is expected to be available for the first seven matches of the upcoming season.
Tickets for the upcoming KFC BBL|14 season are on sale NOW. Tickets are available via Ticketek.
English Test Captain Ollie Pope Becomes a Striker
English Test captain Ollie Pope is the latest pre-draft signing for the Adelaide Strikers. The innovative right-handed batter and wicket keeper is an exciting addition to the squad for the upcoming BBL|14 season.
Pope’s T20 debut came in 2017 while playing for Surrey in the 2017 NatWest T20 Blast. He quickly became known for his creative stroke making which led to his Test debut against India in the summer of 2018 after attracting the attention of England’s national selectors.
In the summer of 2019, Pope earnt a test call up for the tours of New Zealand and South Africa. In the match against South Africa in Port Elizabeth, Pope led England to victory with his maiden Test century and became England’s youngest centurion since Alastair Cook.
In addition to his First-Class career, Pope has starred in the twenty over format scoring 1,295 runs in 60 matches. His impressive strike rate of 133 is sure to strengthen the Strikers batting squad alongside D’Arcy Short, Matt Short and Chris Lynn.
“Signing with the Adelaide Strikers is an incredible opportunity for me. I’ve been watching the Big Bash since I was a kid, and it’s always been a competition I’ve been eager to be a part of. Adelaide is such a fantastic city with a vibrant cricket culture, and the Adelaide Oval is one of the most iconic grounds in the world, said Pope.
“I’m really looking forward to playing in front of the passionate Strikers fans and being part of a team with such a strong reputation. The chance to rub shoulders with some incredible players and contribute to the team’s success is something I’m truly excited about. I can’t wait to get started!”
Adelaide Strikers Head Coach Tim Paine is excited to have Pope join the boys in blue.
“Ollie Pope is an exceptional talent with a proven track record at the highest level. His dynamic batting style and wicket-keeping abilities are a fantastic addition to our squad.
We’re thrilled to have him on board and believe he will be a key player for us this season. His experience and leadership will undoubtedly elevate our team.”
The Draft will be held on Sunday, 1 September and will be broadcast live across The Seven Network, 7plus, Fox Sports and Kayo Sports.
Click here to purchase tickets for the Strikers 24/25 season.
Lee re-joins Hurricanes as WBBL Overseas Pre-Signing
The Hobart Hurricanes are pleased to announce that South Africa’s most prolific Women’s T20 batter/wicketkeeper, Lizelle Lee, has been signed for two seasons as part of the W/BBL’s Overseas Pre-Signing Contract.
Lee, who joined the Hurricanes in WBBL|08, has been a vital component of the Hurricanes squad since moving to Tasmania permanently at the beginning of the 2022-23 season, following her retirement from South African International cricket.
She is excited to return to her new home ahead of WBBL|10.
“I love playing for the Hobart Hurricanes, and I am excited to return to Blundstone Arena for another season in Tasmania!
“I feel like the team made some strong progress last season, and I am looking forward to playing my role and natural game as we look to bring Tasmania and the Hurricanes their first WBBL trophy,” discussed Lee.
Lee’s WBBL career started in WBBL|03, as an overseas signing for the Melbourne Stars, and she has since played in 82 WBBL games for the Stars, Melbourne Renegades and the Hurricanes.
During her WBBL career, she has amassed 2066 runs at an average of 27.91, which has her 16th in the WBBL all-time run-scoring list, and she has three WBBL 100s to her name, one of which was at Blundstone Arena last year against the Renegades.
Her wicketkeeping has also been a major component of her game, and she is 12th overall in the WBBL all-time wicketkeeping dismissal list and will likely be donning the gloves for the Hurricanes again next season.
Last season, Lee dominated the league as she opened the batting for the Hurricanes, scoring 409 runs at an average of 37.18 and a strike rate of 146.07, and was also named the Hobart Hurricanes WBBL Player of the Season.
Cricket Tasmania’s General Manager of High Performance, Salliann Beams, discussed her excitement about having Lee return to Hobart again this season.
“Lizzy has been huge for us in the past few seasons, she has helped set the tone for our innings by getting us off to a positive start, and with her and Junior at the top of our order, I think we have arguably the most experienced and talented opening pairing in the WBBL.
“She provided us with great versatility with our overseas pre-signing, and considering we had the number one pick in the WBBL Draft it made sense for us to pre-sign someone who we know can play a role for us.
“She can change the game with the bat and in the field, having done so time and time again in International cricket for South Africa and in the WBBL, which made her a great choice as our overseas pre-signing,” explained Beams.
Lee joins Nicola Carey, Heather Graham, Ruth Johnston, Hayley Silver-Holmes, Amy Smith, Lauren Smith, Molly Strano, Rachel Trenaman and Elyse Villani as Hurricanes players under contract ahead of WBBL|10.
Details on Hurricanes memberships are on our website, and tickets are on sale now ahead of what will be an exciting W/BBL season for Hurricanes fans.
