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In a boost to their spin bowling stocks on the eve of KFC BBL|13, the Sydney Sixers have signed prodigious leg spinner Izharulhaq Naveed.
Naveed comes into the squad as the club’s third international player after English spinner Rehan Ahmed withdrew from the tournament.
The 20-year-old Afghan, who played nine matches for the Sixers last summer, taking nine wickets, is considered one of the most talented young leg spinners on the international T20 circuit.
In a Sixers loss to eventual BBL title winners Perth, Naveed stood tall, taking match figures of 4/22, including the wickets of World Cup winning star Josh Inglis and last year’s BBL leading run scorer Aaron Hardie.
Sydney Sixers will hold their annual Fan Day at the SCG on Saturday December 9 from 2-4pm. Players from both the BBL and WBBL squads will be in attendance. The event is FREE and open to all members and fans.
Sixers head coach Greg Shipperd said Naveed brought a point of difference to the Sixers’ spin stocks alongside veteran tweaker Steve O’Keefe, Test off spinner Todd Murphy and rising all-rounder Joel Davies.
“We are not going to get to see Rehan Ahmed this season but we wish him well, and at the same time welcome Naveed back to the club,” Shipperd said.
“We are fortunate to have been able to bring back a player of Naveed’s talent and we know he will fit in with our group.
“Our spinning group is building nicely with SOK (O’Keefe), Todd (Murphy) and young Joel Davies, whose left arm offers complement his strong batting and fielding.”
The Sixers, with superstar Steve Smith locked and loaded, open their BBL|13 campaign at home at the SCG on Friday December 8 against the Melbourne Renegades.
Smith and the Sixers batters are set to square off against World Cup winning star Adam Zampa in a mouth-watering clash to start their season.
Sydney Sixers tickets for KFC BBL|13 are available HERE
Sydney Sixers BBL Squad
Head Coach: Greg Shipperd
Contracted for BBL|13: Sean Abbott, Jackson Bird, Tom Curran (ENG), Joel Davies, Ben Dwarshuis, Jack Edwards, Moises Henriques, Daniel Hughes, Hayden Kerr, Todd Murphy, Izharulhaq Naveed (AFG), Steve O’Keefe, Kurtis Patterson, Josh Philippe, Jordan Silk, Steve Smith, James Vince (ENG)
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.
