Melbourne [Australia], (ANI): Melbourne Stars on Thursday announced the signing of West Indies batsman Andre Fletcher following the confirmation that Jonny Bairstow has had to withdraw from the upcoming Big Bash League (BBL) after being recalled by the ECB.
Fletcher has been in New Zealand with the West Indies T20 squad and is a teammate of fellow Stars signing Nicholas Pooran.
“I’m really looking forward to coming over to the Melbourne Stars and being part of what should be an exciting season ahead. Hopefully I can bring my brand of batting and recent form to the Stars during the BBL,” said Fletcher in an official statement.
Fletcher is vastly experienced on the T20 circuit playing more than 200 T20 domestic matches around the world including in the Caribbean Premier League, the Canadian GT20, Pakistan Super League, and Bangladesh Premier League.
He played a key role in the St Lucia Zouks reaching the CPL Final this year.
“We’re naturally disappointed as Jonny won’t be able to link up with us this season but we wish him well on his recall and England’s winter tours,” said Melbourne Stars Head Coach David Hussey.
“Andre is a former T20 World Cup winner with the West Indies so he knows what it takes to succeed in major tournaments and I’m confident he’ll be a great asset around our group,” he added.
In the tenth season of BBL which gets underway on December 10, the final day of the regular season will be played on January 26 and feature a triple-header split between the SCG (one match) and MCG (two matches).
The five-match final series begins on Friday, January 29. The final has been slated for Saturday, February 6. (ANI)
