Stuart Broad set to join Hobart Hurricanes for BBL 2016-17

England fast bowler Stuart Broad has signed up with the Hobart Hurricanes and will turn up for the franchise in the upcoming BBL edition. Broad, who has been a regular face in the England Test team, was dropped from the ODI team for the series against Sri Lanka. “It’s tricky because I haven’t played any white-ball cricket,” Broad had quoted after his omission from the ODI setup.

He further said that the team was perhaps picked on merit and hence refrained from making any comments on it. However, he said that in order to get back to the limited overs setup, he needs to pick wickets with the white ball and thus needs a way to do it. “I think I saw a quote saying this squad had been picked on merit and I can’t argue with that at all because it’s not as if I’ve gone out there and taken a certain amount of white-ball wickets. I’m going to have to find a way to do that,” quoted Broad.

His stint with the BBL will definitely set him right for his practice with the white ball. Broad has set his eyes for an ODI return when the top 8 teams battle it out for the Champions Trophy next year. “I’m going to look at scheduling, whether it’s home or abroad, to try to play some white-ball cricket and there might be a decent opportunity after Christmas this year because there’s not a lot of Test cricket then until I think July,” Broad had earlier quoted.

Broad will have his Nottinghamshire team mate Dan Christian with him in the Hurricanes squad and believes it will be a helpful addition. “It has been really good to have Hurricanes team-mate Dan Christian playing with me at Notts who has been really positive about the Hobart Hurricanes and also the city of Hobart which I’m looking forward to embracing,” added the fast bowler.

The Hurricanes coach Damien Wright said that the amount of knowledge Broad would bring to the table will be very valuable. Broad will bowl with the likes of Shaun Tait and Jake Reed – a pace bowling unit that looks very daunting.

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“Stuart Broad has an incredible record in all three formats and his knowledge of the game overall will be a huge asset for our bowling group going forward,” Damien Wright commented.

“He will give us great firepower with the ball and will be a fantastic inclusion into our pace attack joining Shaun Tait, Jake Reed and Sam Rainbird. We now have two of the biggest names in our game playing for the Hobart Hurricanes and our members and fans should be extremely excited for BBL 06,” he added further.

Stuart Broad is the second overseas addition to the Hobart Hurricanes, the first being former Sri Lankan batsman Kumar Sangakkara.