BBL 14: Ollie Pope signs up with Adelaide Strikers; Akeal Hosein roped in by Sydney Sixers

New Delhi, Aug 22 (IANS) England's stand-in Test skipper Ollie Pope has signed with Adelaide Strikers, while West Indies left-arm spinner Akeal Hosein has been roped in by Sydney Sixers ahead of Big Bash League’s Season 14. The dual signings mean all teams have completed their Pre-draft overseas player signings ahead of the BBL draft on September 1.

Pope, who is now 82nd England men’s Test captain through the ongoing first Test against Sri Lanka due to Ben Stokes being ruled out by a hamstring injury, will be available for Strikers after the Test tour of New Zealand which finishes on December 18. It means he will miss at least the club’s first match of the new BBL season.

Pope averages 33.25 across 50 matches for Surrey in T20s, but couldn’t leave a mark in The Hundred, as he made just 35 runs in his five matches for London Spirit.

"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," said Pope in a statement. "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. The chance to rub shoulders with some incredible players and contribute to the team's success is something I'm truly excited about,” he said.

Pope joins the likes of Chris Lynn, Matt Short, D'Arcy Short and Jake Weatherald at the Strikers, with Australia players Alex Carey and Travis Head also expected to be available for the club in January following the end of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy series against India.

"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," said Tim Paine, Strikers' new head coach.

Meanwhile, the Sixers roping in Hosein means the gap created by Steve O'Keefe's retirement is filled, as he joins Todd Murphy and Joel Davies at the club, but he’s available only for the first seven games of the season due to his ILT20 deal with MI Emirates.

Hosein ranked sixth in men’s T20I bowler rankings, took 13 wickets in nine matches for Melbourne Renegades in 2022/23 BBL and played one further game for them last season as a late replacement signing.

"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,” said Sixers general manager Rachael Haynes.

Adelaide Strikers BBL season 14 squad (so far): James Bazley, Cameron Boyce, Jordan Buckingham, Alex Carey, Brendan Doggett, Chris Lynn, Lloyd Pope, Ollie Pope (direct overseas signing), Alex Ross, D'Arcy Short, Matt Short, Henry Thornton, Jake Weatherald

Sydney Sixers BBL season 14 squad (so far): Sean Abbott, Joel Davies, Ben Dwarshuis, Jack Edwards, Moises Henriques, Akeal Hosein (direct overseas signing), Daniel Hughes, Hayden Kerr, Todd Murphy, Kurtis Patterson, Josh Philippe, Jordan Silk, Steve Smith

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