Joe Root, England’s Test captain, and Jos Buttler have signed to play for Sydney Thunder in the 2018-19 Big Bash League. Both players will be available for seven games before heading to the West Indies with England in January.
The move is particularly significant for Root, who was overlooked when entering the IPL auction earlier in the year. He has previously spoken about his desire to improve in the shortest format but has had few opportunities to develop his game since taking on the Test captaincy, and was dropped from England’s T20 XI last month.
Buttler, by contrast, is one of most sought-after players in T20, having enjoyed a stellar 2018 IPL with Rajasthan Royals. He returns to Sydney Thunder after scoring 202 runs in six innings during last year’s BBL.
England’s winter shedule allows centrally contracted players such as Root and Buttler a rare window to play in the BBL. Their tour of Sri Lanka concludes on November 27, and they do not leave for the Caribbean until January 11.
Source: ESPN Crickinfo