Australian left-arm fast bowler Joel Paris has committed to joining the Melbourne Stars for the upcoming edition of the Big Bash League. Having previously represented the Perth Scorchers and Hobart Hurricanes, this will be his third franchise in the competition. The decision to sign him was fueled by his outstanding performance in the last edition of the Sheffield Shield, making the Stars eager to secure his services after a disappointing season.
However, there is some concern about Paris’s T20 record as it hasn’t been particularly impressive. Over the past decade, he has only played 37 matches in the Big Bash without leaving a significant impact. Nonetheless, with Trent Boult and Luke Wood uncertain about their return, the Stars were keen to strengthen their pace department and thus finalized the deal with Paris for the upcoming season.
“We identified a need for more left armers who could swing the ball in our team so to secure someone of Joel’s experience is fantastic for the squad.
He has been part of a very successful system in Perth for a number of years and knows what success looks like and we hope he can emulate that during his time as part of the Stars,”
general manager of Stars, Blair Crouch was quoted as saying by ESPNcricinfo.
In addition to Paris, the Stars have also secured the signature of Scott Boland for the upcoming season. Boland, a specialist in red-ball cricket for Australia, had a remarkable year in international competitions and aims to carry his form into the BBL. Moreover, the team expects to extend Nathan Coulter-Nile’s contract for another year.
Meanwhile, last year’s finalists Brisbane Heat have re-signed Marnus Labuschagne for another season under the league’s new marquee supplementary list.
According to this new provision, BBL franchises can contract as many centrally contracted players as they desire as long as the deals remain within the AUD$3 million salary cap for their regular 18-man roster.
