Sandeep signs on for second stint with Hobart

Sandeep Lamichhane will return to the Hobart Hurricanes for a second summer, committing to play a full season of the KFC BBL.

The leg-spinner from Nepal becomes the second international player to commit to the BBL this week after the Sydney Sixers announced Carlos Brathwaite's return.

Hobart are also understood to be close to finalising a deal with an overseas batsman who, if confirmed, will be a new face to the BBL, but head coach Adam Griffith said international recruiting in the current climate has been difficult.

"It's pretty hard, I won't sugar coat it, it's just the current climate around players, " Griffith said recently.

"I think potentially it was a bit underestimated, the quarantine component. We're the only country in the world that has to do that type of (14-days mandatory) quarantine.

"With the IPL and then the World Cup running back-to-back before coming straight to us, that can make it difficult with a lot of time in bubbles.

"And there's other leagues so we're also competing with other competitions that run at the same time that are potentially less in duration and the same sort of cash.

"But I think what we have in our favour is the BBL is still seen as one of the highest standards of competition in the world, and that's what a lot of these players want to play."

Sandeep played the final eight of Hobart's matches last summer after a delayed arrival but will play a full part in BBL|11.

"I am looking forward to returning to Australia and playing with the Hurricanes again this year," Lamichhane said in a statement.

"I really enjoyed my time with the Hurricanes last season, so I'm excited that I will be there for the whole tournament this year.

"We had a great group of players last year, and a lot of us will still be playing together this year too.

"Being there for the whole season I'm hoping I can personally put together some strong performances and contribute to the team having a successful year."

The young spinner was due to play in this year's Hundred competition but had to leave England after a visa issue was discovered eight days into his hotel quarantine period. Delays to his visa had already seen him miss the chance to play in the T20 Blast competition.

However, Lamichhane will soon play in the Everest Premier League in his home country for the Kathmandu Kings XI, with that tournament to run between September 25 and October 9.

Lamichhane took eight wickets in his eight matches with Hobart last summer at an economy of 7.54.

He previously played two seasons with the Melbourne Stars where he took 26 wickets at an economy of 7.1 from 21 games.

Sandeep was a breakout star at the 2016 Under 19 World Cup as a 16-year-old and was the second-highest wicket-taker at the tournament. He was later identified by former Australia captain Michael Clarke at a Hong Kong T20 tournament later that year.

He spent the 2016-17 summer with Clarke's Western Suburbs club in NSW Premier Cricket, before going to on help his nation win their first ever ODI in August 2017. Soon after he was picked up for the Indian Premier League in 2018, and also played in that year's Caribbean Premier League.

The Stars liked what they saw and were rewarded as he claimed two wickets in his very first over of BBL cricket, with the prize scalps of Shane Watson and Callum Ferguson on his debut against the Sydney Thunder.

"Spin has always been an area that we need to make sure we are strong in, but I think we've also got one of the most exciting young spinners in the country in Wil Parker on our list as well," Griffith said.

"He got a little taste of it last year (playing two games) and we're really excited to see what he can do going forward."

Hobart Hurricanes BBL|11 squad (so far): Scott Boland, Tim David, Nathan Ellis, Peter Handscomb, Caleb Jewell, Josh Kann, Sandeep Lamichhane, Ben McDermott, Riley Meredith, Mitch Owen, Joel Paris, Wil Parker, D'Arcy Short, Matthew Wade (c), Mac Wright.