Rare Jordan: Sixers return beckons for five-club veteran

England allrounder Chris Jordan will make his return to the Sydney Sixers in KFC BBL|16 to add a new chapter in his near decade-long stint in the competition.

The 37-year-old has been a regular feature of the Australian summer since BBL|06, taking 59 wickets, scoring 340 runs and snaring several classic catches to boot across his 65 matches, albeit in a myriad of different colours over the years.

Jordan forms part of a rare group of players who have represented a record five clubs in BBL. He first debuted in BBL|06 with Adelaide Strikers before one-season stints with Sydney Thunder (BBL|08) and Perth Scorchers (BBL|09). After a year away, Jordan returned for two summers with the Sixers in BBL|11 and BBL|12, before landing at Hobart Hurricanes in BBL|13, which he had called home for the past three seasons.

Adam Zampa is set to join Jordan in the 'five-team club' this season after signing with the Hurricanes ahead of BBL|16, with Dan Christian and Josh Lalor also part of the club-hopping cohort. Nicola Hancock will become just the second WBBL player to do the same after signing with Sydney Thunder last week, with England's Lauren Winfield-Hill previously the only women's player to play for five different WBBL clubs.

"I loved my previous time with the Sixers and I'm incredibly excited to be coming back," Jordan said in a statement.

"The club has a proud history, a great fan base and a group that is always competing for championships.

"I'm looking forward to reconnecting with familiar faces, meeting new ones and hopefully helping bring plenty of success to the Sixers this season."

On the international stage, Jordan has taken 175 wickets, of which 108 have been in T20Is. On the franchise circuit, the veteran has become renowned for his death bowling and level head under pressure across the multiple leagues he has played for.

There was perhaps no greater example from his time on Australian soil than in the BBL|14 Qualifier against the Sixers where Jordan conceded just seven runs in the final over, paving the way for the Hurricanes' maiden Big Bash triumph.

That trait is primed to benefit the Sixers this time around, whose bowling armada is currently headed up by Ben Dwarshuis, new recruit Fergus O'Neill and the BBL's all-time leading wicket-taker Sean Abbott, who has committed to club this season despite significant interest from rival teams.

The Sixers' top order has also received a boost via the addition of New Zealander Tim Seifert from the Renegades. He and Jordan are the only international players on the Sixers' list for BBL|16, with the club having the option to add another if they choose.

The Sixers were once again in the hunt for their fourth BBL title last season but were no match for Perth Scorchers, who blasted their way to a record sixth championship. In Jordan's previous two seasons at the Sixers, he departed before the finals, but in his past two campaigns with the Hurricanes, he had stayed for the entire tournament.

So far, the Sixers have not re-signed any of their international recruits from last season, which was headlined by Pakistan superstar Babar Azam in a campaign that drew plenty of attention.

Meanwhile, the Hurricanes have only added West Indies white-ball skipper Shai Hope to their BBL|16 roster, with reigning club MVP and Bangladesh spinner Rishad Hossain yet to be re-signed along with England's Rehan Ahmed.