Renegades look to rebuild spin stocks

Fawad Ahmed's move to the Sydney Thunder has left the Melbourne Renegades needing to replenish their spin stocks for the fifth edition of the KFC Twenty20 Big Bash League.

Ahmed excelled as a wicket-taking spinner in the 2014-15 summer, from a leading role with the Renegades to the leading wicket-taker in the Bupa Sheffield Shield in Victoria's triumphant season.

It culminated in a call-up to Australia's Test squad for the winter West Indies and Ashes series.

Quick Single: Sydney Thunder secure Ashes-bound Ahmed

But his departure from the Renegades has left the red-half of Melbourne disappointed, especially after the spinner has come into his own after three seasons of development with the club.

"I thought we gave him a lot of opportunity at the Renegades," skipper Aaron Finch told cricket.com.au.

"Etihad's a great wicket to bowl spin on and he had some success there this year.

"On the back of not taking any wickets for a while, we stuck with him and it's really disappointing to lose him."

Fawad took five wickets at 32 with an economy rate of six in BBL|04, playing seven of the eight matches for the club.

He played a key role, bowling alongside Bangladesh allrounder Shakib Al Hasan, who took seven wickets at 13.85 in just four matches after he joined for the second-half of BBL|04.

The previous two seasons saw Ahmed play only one match for the club each summer, but he had benefited greatly from working alongside the club's marquee international signing and leading Test wicket-taker Muthiah Muralidaran.

Now the 33-year-old has moved to the Thunder just as he is reaching the peak of his powers, a fact Finch acknowledged.

"He's a quality bowler. When he gets his opportunity in international cricket again, whether its Test cricket in the West Indies, I think he'll do an amazing job," said Finch.

"He's a world-class spinner but to lose him at the Renegades is very disappointing."

The Renegades are understood to be close to announcing a new marquee international, but new coach David Saker is also on the hunt for a front-line spinner.

It is unclear what Ahmed's move means for 33-year-old former Test spinner Nathan Hauritz, who took six wickets at 27.83 at an economy of nine for the Thunder in BBL|04.

The Renegades have a solid core of past and current Australian international players, with Finch joined by fast bowlers James Pattinson and Peter Siddle, wicketkeeper Matthew Wade and star domestic recruit Cameron White from cross-town rivals the Melbourne Stars.