The Sydney Sixers will be without West Indian Carlos Brathwaite for the upcoming BBL season, but the club have wasted no time in signing a replacement.
While Brathwaite has been put on the shelf by a slower than expected recovery from shoulder surgery, the Sixers have locked up English quick Chris Jordan as his replacement.
Jordan was the chief destroyer of Australia's only loss at the most recent T20 World Cup, and has been a mainstay in Entgland's side for some years in the shortest form of the game.
Jordan has managed 71 international T20 games, taking 79 wickets at 26.75, but is also a globe-trotting T20 star, having played for 14 different franchises around the globe. He has played a total of 250 T20 matches at all levels, taking 259 wickets at 27.18.
That includes three different BBL teams, representing the Adelaide Strikers in 2016-17, the Sydney Thunder in 2018-19 and the Perth Scorchers in 2019-20 before linking up with the Sixers this summer.
RELATED: Every BBL squad
The 33-year-old quick finished the recent World Cup with six wickets to his credit, and while England were bounced out before the finals, he has been a mainstay of one of the best T20 teams in the world.
Cricket New South Wales head of male cricket Michael Klinger said he was thrilled that Jordan would be joining the Sixers for the upcoming summer.
“It’s disappointing for Carlos and the group that he has succumbed to injury but Chris is a world class T20 cricketer and will provide the Sixers with fantastic versatility and high quality skills in all three aspects of the game,” said Klinger.
“His death bowling and change ups, as well as being one of the world’s best fielders, will be a huge asset for the Sixers early in the BBL.
“He is experienced in playing in the BBL and has been previously successful in this tournament.
“I know (Sixers Head Coach) Greg Shipperd and the rest of the coaching staff are very excited to have Chris on board.”
The Sixers are the defending BBL champions, having finished top of the table last season before hammering the Perth Scorchers by nine wickets in the qualifier, and then backing that up with a 27-run victory over the same team in the final at the Sydney Cricket Ground.
