Strikers turn to Proteas spinner as England duo earn call-up

England allrounders Jamie Overton and Luke Wood will be unavailable for a possible Adelaide Strikers BBL|15 finals campaign after being named in England's T20 World Cup squad.

The pair were selected in the 16-man squad just prior to the new year, and have also been picked for England's white-ball tour of Sri Lanka which commences on January 22.

With preparations for both the upcoming Sri Lankan tour and T20 World Cup overlapping with the KFC BBL|15 finals campaign, which runs from January 20-25, it means the Strikers would be without two of their most seasoned white-ball veterans in the hunt for a prospective second BBL title.

The Strikers have turned to South African spinner Tabraiz Shamsi to fill the void left by the outgoing international duo, who has been named in the squad to face Perth Scorchers at Optus Stadium on Sunday.

South Africa's all-time leading wicket-taker in T20Is, the 35-year-old was only a few days ago involved in a landmark High Court decision ruled in his favour, enabling him to play in the ILT20 and BBL after he withdrew from his contract with MI Cape Town in the SA20.

Cricket South Africa (CSA) has since provided Shamsi with a No-Objection Certificate in order to participate the BBL.

"Tabraiz is a highly respected cricketer who knows what it takes to perform in big moments, and we're delighted to have him joining the Strikers for the remainder of the season," Strikers coach Tim Paine said in a statement.

"He gives our side plenty of different options for the remaining matches of the tournament, and we're excited to see what he brings."

BBL international signings Rehan Ahmed (Hurricanes) and Sam Curran (Sixers) have also been named in England's squad led by Harry Brook.

Overton has been less destructive with the bat in BBL|15 than in previous seasons, but starred with a two-wicket, 30-run performance against the Sixers to net player of the match honours in the narrow three-wicket win.

Meanwhile, Wood's return to the Big Bash after a two-year absence has been a welcome addition to the Strikers ranks. The 30-year-old seamer has taken six wickets at less than 15 from his three appearances, including the coveted wicket of Babar Azam.

The Strikers currently sit in fifth with a 2-2 record, however they have matches in hand including three fixtures remaining at Adelaide Oval before finals.

Matt Short's side will face the Scorchers tomorrow at Optus Stadium, who will be without opening batter Finn Allen after he injured his finger while keeping against the Hurricanes.

With Josh Inglis still on Ashes duty ahead of the fifth test at the SCG, local replacement Joel Curtis appears all but likely to take the gloves in what will be his Big Bash debut on Sunday.

The Western Australian was announced as part of the Scorchers' squad a few days before their season opener against the Sixers, coming into the fold as cover for Inglis.

Australia's own wicketkeeping stocks for the upcoming World T20 Cup have come under the microscope after no recognised back-up keeper — in the event of an injury to Inglis — was named in the squad.

Selectors haven't named a reserve wicketkeeper for the ICC's T20 showpiece for the first time in three World Cups, instead opting for left-arm spinners Matt Kuhnemann and allrounder Cooper Connolly to complement Adam Zampa.

Glenn Maxwell appears the most likely candidate to keep wicket should Inglis become unavailable, having been the back-up option — albeit an unused one as rain intervened — for Matthew Wade in a 2022 T20 World Cup match against England.

KFC BBL|15 standings

Team	Matches played M	Wins W	Losses L	Ties T	No results N/R	Net Run Rate NRR	Deductions Ded.	Total points PTS
1 Hobart Hurricanes Men HUR	7	5	2	0	0	0.187	0	10
2 Perth Scorchers Men SCO	6	4	2	0	0	1.32	0	8
3 Melbourne Stars Men STA	6	4	2	0	0	1.091	0	8
4 Brisbane Heat Men HEA	6	3	3	0	0	-0.786	0	6
5 Sydney Sixers Men SIX	5	2	3	0	0	0.202	0	4
6 Adelaide Strikers Men STR	5	2	3	0	0	-0.045	0	4
7 Melbourne Renegades Men REN	5	2	3	0	0	-0.636	0	4
8 Sydney Thunder Men THU	6	1	5	0	0	-1.429	0	2

Legend

M: Matches played

W: Wins

L: Losses

T: Ties

N/R: No results

NRR: Net Run Rate

Ded.: Deductions

PTS: Total points