Adelaide Strikers sign Ollie Pope, Akeal Hosein joins Sydney Sixers in BBL

Adelaide Strikers, a Big Bash League franchise based in Australia, has announced the signing of England's stand-in Test captain Ollie Pope. Meanwhile, Sydney Sixers have secured the services of West Indies left-arm spinner Akeal Hosein for the upcoming season.

With designated Test skipper Ben Stokes serving his time on the sidelines due to a hamstring injury, Pope is leading England's team for their ongoing three-match series against Sri Lanka.

Pope will be keen to add to his tally of 1295 runs in the T20 format. He has put runs on the board at an average of 28.77 and a strike rate of 132.82.

He went through a lean run in the recently concluded The Hundred, scoring just 35 runs in five innings for London Spirit.

"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," Tim Paine, Strikers' new head coach, said as quoted from a statement released by the franchise.

It has already been confirmed that the Strikers won't take all-rounder Jamie Overton as their pre-draft signing. They will have an opportunity to use their retention option to bring back the English all-rounder, who made a major impact last season.

Meanwhile, Hosein has joined the Sixers to cover the vacuum created by the retirement of Steve O'Keefe. According to ESPNcricinfo, Hosein will be available for the first seven games of the upcoming BBL season due to his contract with ILT20 side MI Emirates.

In the 2022-23 season, Hosein scythed 13 scalps in nine matches for Melbourne Renegades.

"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," Sixers general manager Rachael Haynes said.

The BBL Draft is scheduled 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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