Adelaide Strikers sign Ollie Pope for BBL 2024-25

Adelaide Strikers have signed England's current stand-in Test captain, Ollie Pope, for the upcoming season of the Big Bash League (BBL). Meanwhile, West Indies’ left-arm spinner Akeal Hosein will play for the Sydney Sixers.

Pope is currently leading England’s Test team in the absence of injured Ben Stokes and will join the Adelaide set-up after the three-match Test series in New Zealand, which will end on December 18. As a result, the right-handed batter will miss Adelaide’s opening match of the season against Sydney Thunder on December 17.

Pope, who has been a permanent member of the England Test side, is yet to play white-ball cricket at the international level. He has played 60 T20s, though, scoring 1,295 runs at an average of 28.77 and a strike rate of 132.82.

"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 Strikers' new head coach, Tim Paine.

Meanwhile, Hosein is set to replace Steve O'Keefe, who retired from professional cricket after the last season of BBL. Hosein, however, will only be available for the first seven games due to his ILT20 deal with MI Emirates. The left-arm spinner has featured in 172 T20s, picking up 159 wickets at an average of 24.82 and an economy rate of 7.03.

"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.

The BBL draft is set to take place on September 1.

BBL pre-draft signings

Adelaide Strikers: Ollie Pope

Brisbane Heat: Colin Munro

Hobart Hurricanes: Chris Jordan

Melbourne Renegades: Tim Seifert

Melbourne Stars: Tom Curran

Perth Scorchers: Finn Allen

Sydney Sixers: Akeal Hosein

Sydney Thunder: Sam Billings

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