Hales return heralds BBL's England influx

A third English import has been confirmed for the coming KFC BBL season after big-hitting opener Alex Hales re-signed with the Sydney Thunder.

Hales joins compatriots Tom Banton (Brisbane Heat) and Tom Curran (Sydney Sixers) as the only internationals to so far confirm involvement in the milestone 10th season of the BBL, with a glut of England players expected to follow suit.

While Banton and Curran had existing multi-year contracts for this summer, Hales is the first international to commit to coming to Australia in the midst of the COVID19 pandemic.

Hales, who has agreed a new one-year deal and will again link with Usman Khawaja at the top of the Sydney Thunder batting line-up, will be available for the full BBL season as he remains on the outer with the England national set-up.

Curran, Banton and other BBL targets, such as the Perth Scorchers' interest in Jason Roy and Liam Livingstone, and Jonny Bairstow who has been lined up by the Melbourne Stars, are waiting to learn if England and South Africa authorities agree terms for a proposed white-ball tour in late November.

Reports out of Pakistan of a possible T20 tour by England in late January have not been substantiated, but discussions for the South Africa tour is "at an advanced stage", and the quarantine requirements for England players on their arrival into Australia could see them miss the opening games of the BBL season.

That won't be an issue for Hales, with England captain Eoin Morgan earlier this year saying "it will take more time" before the 31-year-old could again be considered for national selection following his recreational drugs ban in 2019 that threatened to derail England's World Cup campaign.

After single seasons with the Melbourne Renegades (BBL02), Adelaide Strikers (BBL03) and Hobart Hurricanes (BBL04), Hales will play a second season with the Thunder having been a stand-out performer last summer.

He was the tournament's second highest run scorer with 576 runs in 17 games at a strike rate of 146.93, launching 23 sixes and passed fifty sixes times.

Hales, who signed a one-year deal, said he believe the Thunder was a team on the rise.

"To get the chance to come back is exciting because we're at the start of something... I think the next two-to-three years is going to very special for Sydney Thunder," Hales said.

"I really believe that, and to know I'm coming back to that means a lot.

"A lot of people had written us off as no chance at the start of (last) season, but we performed extremely well and won some fantastic games.

"So when I look back on last season I think it was a very successful one for us – as a very young and talented squad – to make the finals."

Khawaja and Hales were second only to Perth's Josh Inglis and Liam Livingstone as the BBL's most productive opening partnership, with three stands worth 96 or better in the season.

"Usman and I are different players – and I think that's important for an opening pair," said Hales.

"It means bowlers need to bowl at different lengths and different areas, and (we) score at a different tempo.

"On top of all that, I think the right-hand, left-hand combination worked really well. Usman is also a very calm guy too, a very calm influence, and that's very important in T20."

The return of Hales follows the Thunder extending the contracts of Daniel Sams, last summer's leading wicket-taker, and young spinner Arjun Nair. The club has also added allrounder Ben Cutting, while delisting Gurinder Sandhu and Jay Lenton.

Sydney Thunder BBL10 squad (so far): Jonathan Cook, Ben Cutting, Oliver Davies, Brendan Doggett, Callum Ferguson (c), Matthew Gilkes, Chris Green, Alex Hales, Usman Khawaja, Nathan McAndrew, Arjun Nair, Alex Ross, Daniel Sams, Jason Sangha, Tanveer Sangha, Chris Tremain