Ollie Pope and Akeal Hosein secure BBL contracts ahead of upcoming season

England's stand-in Test captain Ollie Pope and West Indies left-arm spinner Akeal Hosein have signed with Big Bash League (BBL) teams ahead of the upcoming season, completing the pre-draft selections.

Ollie Pope, currently leading England in their Test series against Sri Lanka due to Ben Stokes' injury, has joined the Adelaide Strikers. However, Pope will only be available for the Strikers after England’s Test tour of New Zealand, which ends on December 18, meaning he will miss at least their first match. Pope, known for his dynamic batting, will aim to improve on his T20 record of 1295 runs at an average of 28.77 and a strike rate of 132.82. Though he struggled in the recent Hundred tournament with London Spirit, scoring just 35 runs in five innings, Strikers' head coach Tim Paine expressed confidence in Pope's abilities.

"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," Paine said.

Pope will also have the opportunity to team up with Australian stars Travis Head and Alex Carey when they are available for a short stint after the India Test series. Carey recently signed a new four-year deal with the Strikers.

Meanwhile, West Indies spinner Akeal Hosein has joined the Sydney Sixers to fill the gap left by Steve O'Keefe's retirement. Hosein, who previously played for the Melbourne Renegades, took 13 wickets in nine matches during the 2022-23 season and will be available for the first seven games of the BBL before joining MI Emirates for the ILT20 league.

Sixers' general manager, Rachael Haynes, praised Hosein’s all-round abilities.

"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," Haynes said.

The BBL draft is set to take place on September 1. Notably, Afghan spinner Rashid Khan has not nominated for the draft, meaning he will miss the BBL for the second consecutive season. Afghanistan’s international commitments and Rashid’s signing with SA20 have ruled him out of the competition.

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