Hard-hitting West Indies batter Nicholas Pooran and Pakistan wicket-keeper batter Mohammad Rizwan have withdrawn from the Big Bash League to fulfil their International commitment earlier next year. Meanwhile, Australian veteran Peter Siddle is set to return to Melbourne Renegades for the next edition of the BBL.
South African Dane Van Niekerk is out of the WBBL after suffering a right thumb injury during the Women’s Hundred League in England. The 30-year-old played for Melbourne Renegades, Sydney Sixers, and Adelaide Strikers in the previous edition of the WBBL.
Nicholas Pooran and Mohammad Rizwan were set to be part of the Big Bash draft, as platinum picks for the teams, as he was set to be available for the majority of the tournament before moving into the ILT20 league to represent the Mumbai Emirates in the 2024 season, but have seemed to change his mind of playing for the country against England in home soil to get himself ready for the 2024 T20 World Cup.
The West Indies batter could be a trump card for his team going into the mega-event on their home soil, as he has the skill set to take the game away from the opponents in a short period and he would be a key player for the T20 World cup after failing to qualify for the ODI World Cup in India and this could be the reason behind his withdrawal from the tournament in Australia.
Mohammad Rizwan was slated to play in the league in Australia but due to commitments with Pakistan Cricket, his participation in the league is not certain with him playing three Tests against Australia on their home soil. The Pakistan wicket-keeper batter can anchor the innings and score runs at a brisk pace has made him one of the most valuable players in franchise cricket around the world.
Melbourne Renegades General Manager James Rosengarten was elated to welcome the Australian veteran Peter Siddle to their setup after spending six seasons at Adelaide Strikers, as he would add more value to the team with his experience of playing T20 cricket in the league.
“We’ve made a concerted effort to add more experience to our playing list this off-season, so to welcome ‘Sidds’ back to the Renegades, alongside the additions of Adam Zampa and Nathan Lyon is a fantastic result,” Rosengarten said.
Renegades has one of the most experienced and oldest sets of players in the Big Bash League, with them having the likes of former Australian skipper Aaron Finch, Shaun Marsh, and Nathan Lyon in their squad for the next edition, as the team believes that experience of the senior players will come in handy for the team.