Cricket star Babar Azam signs up for Big Bash League with Sydney Sixers
Sydney Sixers Secure T20 Star Babar Azam for Big Bash League 2023
The Sydney Sixers have made a significant move in the Big Bash League (BBL) by securing the services of Pakistan's T20 international superstar, Babar Azam, for the upcoming season.
Babar Azam, the second-highest run-scorer in T20 international history with a total of 4,223 runs across 128 matches, expressed his enthusiasm about playing in one of the world's best T20 leagues and being a part of the Sydney Sixers.
The Sydney Sixers had not signed any overseas players before Babar Azam's announcement, making this acquisition a major coup for the team. The 30-year-old Pakistani batsman has officially signed with the Sixers for the entire BBL season, subject to the necessary clearances.
The Sydney Sixers had a competitive previous season, finishing second but faced elimination in the playoffs, losing to both the Hobart Hurricanes and Sydney Thunder. With Babar Azam on board, the team is expected to strengthen its batting line-up and challenge for the BBL title.
In addition to Babar Azam, other outstanding players who could play for the Sydney Sixers in the BBL 2023 include English allrounder Sam Curran for part of the season, and core players like Sean Abbott, Moises Henriques (captain), Steve Smith, and Josh Philippe among others, who have been retained from the previous squad.
Meanwhile, other English players, including Jamie Overton, Chris Jordan, Tom Curran, and Sam Billings, have already been contracted to different BBL teams. Notable pre-signed overseas players for the BBL include Colin Munro (NZ), Tim Seifert (NZ), Finn Allen (NZ), and Babar Azam (Pak).
As for the Women's Big Bash League (WBBL), the Hobart Hurricanes have not pre-signed an overseas player, while other pre-signed overseas players include Laura Wolvaardt (SA), Nadine de Klerk (SA), Hayley Matthews (WI), Marizanne Kapp (SA), Sophie Devine (NZ), Amelia Kerr (NZ), and Chamari Athapaththu (Sri).
Amy Jones, Heather Knight, and Sam Curran, as well as Pakistan players Shaheen Shah Afridi and Mohammad Rizwan, are among the other players available for selection in the WBBL. All pre-signed overseas players must be available for the entire BBL/WBBL season.
The signing of Babar Azam comes just before next week's player draft, where each franchise in the Big Bash League is permitted to contract one international player prior to the draft. The BBL and WBBL seasons are set to commence in December 2022.
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