BBL 09: Sydney Thunder sign England batsman Alex Hales

England batsman Alex Hales will play for Sydney Thunder in the upcoming edition of the Big Bash League, the franchise confirmed on Wednesday. Hales joins Chris Morris as the team’s second overseas signing this season.

A destructive opener, Hales fell out of favour with the national side following his 21-day drug ban. He was consequently axed from England’s World Cup squad and hasn’t received a white-ball central contract for the next year. Hales recently had a successful outing for Nottinghamshire in the T20 Blast, scoring 418 runs at a whopping strike rate of 140.26. He scored five half-centuries in 12 innings and helped his side reach the semi-final.

“I really can’t wait to return to the Big Bash,” Hales said. “It’s such a hugely respected tournament around the world. The standard of cricket is amazing and any chance you get to visit Australia and play over there is amazing, so I’m really looking forward to it.”

“Sydney Thunder is the full package. Sydney is one of the best cities in the world, getting the chance to work with Shane Bond – who is a highly respected coach – and it’s a young club, so hopefully, I can be part of building a successful family there. As an opener, you want to be one of the leading run-scorers, so that’s definitely one of my aims.”

Thunder coach Shane Bond expressed his excitement at having a player of Hales’ calibre in the squad.

“He’s one of the best T20 batters in the world. To have someone of his quality available for the whole tournament for us is a great pick up,” Bond said.

“I spent a little bit of time with him at the Mumbai Indians and came up against him when I coached New Zealand and he smacked us a number of times.”

Hales has been a regular in Australia’s premier T20 tournament, having already plied his trade for the Melbourne, Adelaide and Hobart franchises. His stint with the Thunder this year will mark his return to the BBL for the first time since 2015.