Reece Topley, the England left-armer, has signed with Melbourne Renegades as their first overseas player for the BBL.
Topley, who has played 13 ODIs and six T20Is, is currently a reserve at the T20 World Cup and could be elevated to England's main squad should Tymal Mills' injury rule him out of the tournament.
He fought his way back into England contention in late 2020 after stress fractures of the lower back. His most recent appearances were in the ODI series against India in March.
"I was out in Melbourne the year [the Renegades] won it, I was at the game as well and I've got incredible memories from that night," he said. "I know quite a lot of the guys already so I look forward to seeing some old friends and meeting some new guys as well.
"I like to bowl in those pressure scenarios, I like to try to close out games or take wickets with the new ball. I really embrace that challenge and look forward to taking on whatever role I'm given."
Topley should form a potent pace attack alongside Kane Richardson and James Pattinson. They have finished last in consecutive seasons after winning the title in 2018-19.
"We're rapt to secure Reece and are really excited about what he bring to our team," David Saker, Renegades' head coach, said. "He is an experienced bowler who offers the ability to swing the ball up front in the powerplay and to bowl in pressure situations at the death. We believe Reece adds a real point of difference as a tall left-arm fast bowler that will complement our pace attack."
The BBL is due to start on December 5 and is currently scheduled as a full home-and-away season although ongoing border restrictions may force changes to the fixture list.
Renegades squad Aaron Finch (capt), Cameron Boyce, Zak Evans, Jake Fraser-McGurk, Sam Harper, Marcus Harris, Mackenzie Harvey, Josh Lalor, Nic Maddinson, Shaun Marsh, James Pattinson, Mitchell Perry, Jack Prestwidge, Kane Richardson, Will Sutherland, Reece Topley
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