Nabi returns as Renegades lock in Afghan crowd-favourite

21 Oct 2020 Martin Smith

The experienced Afghanistan allrounder Mohammad Nabi will again suit up for the Melbourne Renegades after extending his stint with the club for BBL|10

Afghan star Mohammad Nabi, the world's top-ranked T20 allrounder, will return to the KFC BBL this season determined to put a frustrating IPL campaign behind him.

The Melbourne Renegades have confirmed Nabi will return for a fourth consecutive season in red, which included a key role in their title-winning run two summers ago.

Nabi is the sixth international confirmed for this season and his signing follows the news on Monday that Englishman Dawid Malan, the world's No.1 T20 batter, has joined the Hobart Hurricanes.

Nabi returns to the Renegades on a one-year contract extension alongside star Aussie paceman James Pattinson, who was announced as a recruit last week.

"I have always enjoyed my time with the Renegades and testing myself against some of the best T20 players in the world in the Big Bash," Nabi said. "I'm very pleased to have re-signed for a fourth season."

The 35-year-old's contract extension comes as clubs look to splash the cash after a third international player in the playing XI was approved this week.

Cricket Australia will stump up extra money above a club's $1.86m salary cap in a bid to lure some of the game's biggest names to the BBL this season.

Nabi is the Renegades' first overseas signing for BBL|10 and his consistency and flexibility made him an attractive proposition for second-year head coach Michael Klinger.

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"Nabi's versatility makes him a very valuable member of our team. He can bat and bowl in a number of different situations and he reads the game so well," Klinger said.

"We'll again be looking for Nabi to play a key role in our middle order and he'll be called upon to bowl some important overs."

Nabi should have a point to prove when the Big Bash gets underway in December having endured a frustrating IPL campaign so far alongside David Warner at the Sunrisers Hyderabad.

With only four foreign players permitted in each IPL side and Warner, Jonny Bairstow and Rashid Khan understandably certain selections for the Sunrisers, Nabi has essentially been battling Kiwi skipper Kane Williamson for the fourth overseas slot.

So far Williamson has got the nod in all but two games this season, meaning Nabi has been sidelined for much of the tournament despite boasting more than 270 T20 games of experience.

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A big-hitting middle-order batter and canny off-spin bowler, Nabi has played several match-winning cameos for the Renegades and almost stole an unlikely victory last season against Hobart when he clubbed 63 from just 30 balls, with the Gades ultimately falling four runs short in a disappointing season that saw them finish last.

The Renegades have revamped their list for this season, with Dan Christian (Sydney Sixers), Tom Cooper and Jack Wildermuth (both Brisbane Heat) all departing and Pattinson returning, while Josh Lalor and Jack Prestwidge are understood to have joined from the Heat.

The signings of Nabi and Malan follow the re-signings of English pair Liam Livingstone (Perth Scorchers) and Alex Hales (Sydney Thunder), while Tom Curran (Sixers) and Tom Banton (Heat) were already locked in on multi-year deals.

Melbourne Renegades BBL|10 squad (so far): Cameron Boyce, Zak Evans, Aaron Finch (c), Jake Fraser-McGurk, Sam Harper, Marcus Harris, Mackenzie Harvey, Jon Holland, Shaun Marsh, Mohammad Nabi, James Pattinson, Kane Richardson, Will Sutherland, Beau Webster.