Pope, who is leading England against Sri Lanka due to Ben Stokes' hamstring injury, will be available for Strikers after the Test tour of New Zealand which finishes on December 18 which means he will miss at least their first match.

Pope will be looking to build on a T20 record of 1295 runs at 28.77 and a strike-rate of 132.82. He had a lean time in the recent Hundred for London Spirit where he made 35 runs in five innings.

He will have a chance to team up with Ashes adversaries Travis Head and Alex Carey, the latter who has signed a new four-year deal, when they are available for the BBL for a short window after the India Test series.

"Ollie Pope is an exceptional talent with a proven track record at the highest level," Tim Paine, Strikers' new head coach, said. "His dynamic batting style and wicket-keeping abilities are a fantastic addition to our squad."

The BBL draft will take place on September 1.