The Sydney Sixers will welcome a mix of new and familiar faces to their Weber WBBL and KFC BBL squads ahead of this summer following Sunday night’s Overseas Player Drafts.
Holding Pick 7 in the first round of the inaugural WBBL Overseas Draft, the Sixers were without the option of retaining English spin sensation Sophie Ecclestone from last summer, with the 24-year-old forced to sit out the upcoming WBBL season with a shoulder injury.
Making their first ever selection in the WBBL Draft, the Sixers instead opted for South African all-rounder, Chloe Tryon, who will join her third WBBL club after stints with the Hobart Hurricanes and Sydney Thunder.
Fresh off championship wins with the Southern Brave and Mumbai Indians in The Hundred and WPL respectively – both alongside Sydney Sixers head coach Charlotte Edwards – Tryon brings power hitting prowess in addition to providing another spin option for the side.
Edwards’ team will also welcome right-arm quick Jess Kerr from across the ditch, selected at Pick 25. A powerplay specialist, the speedster was the sole selection in the final round of the Draft, earmarked to help to fill the gap left by Ecclestone in the crucial four overs.
In the BBL Draft, the club opted to retain fan favourite and bowling all-rounder, Tom Curran. Selected by the Hobart Hurricanes at Pick 3, the Sixers activated their option to retain, seeing the 28-year-old remain in magenta for the upcoming summer.
Curran will head to Sydney on the back of one of the all-time great performances in The Hundred. Named Player of the Match in the Final for his record 127-run partnership with James Nesham, Curran notched 67 not out to secure victory for the Oval Invincibles and Curran lift the trophy.
The all-rounder will be joined this season by fellow countrymen, James Vince and Rehan Ahmed, with the pair selected at Picks 13 and 30 respectively.
A fixture of the Sixers’ top order in recent years, Vince is set to return to the club for a sixth consecutive summer, reuniting with opening partner Josh Philippe.
Rounding out the Sixers trio of selections was 19-year-old English rising star, Rehan Ahmed.
One of the most exciting young cricketers on the world’s stage, Ahmed made his international debut in December last year at 18 years of age, smashing records and taking five wickets the first innings.
Head of Sydney Sixers, Rachael Haynes said:
“We’re really pleased with our five selections. We’ve got a mix of new and familiar faces, with Tom Curran and James Vince both returning to the club, and Chloe Tryon, Jess Kerr and Rehan Ahmed joining us for the first time.
“Having picks 6 and 7 in the WBBL and BBL Drafts respectively, many of our decisions hinged on what happened ahead of us so you need to be prepared but also willing to be flexible in your plans.
“We think our Sixers fans should be really excited about the players that’ll be joining us this summer.”
Alistair Dobson, Cricket Australia’s General Manager, Big Bash Leagues, said:
"There's no doubt the first WBBL Draft has been a huge success and we look forward to seeing how the BBL Draft plays out this evening.”
“We are [also] excited by the return of the KFC BBL Draft, welcoming some of the world’s best players to the competition and kicking off the countdown to the summer of Big Bash.
"The second KFC BBL Draft brought lots of action with some huge new names joining the competition, fan favourites returning to Clubs, as well as some big moves with a number of players set to call a new Club home for the season ahead.
"We'd like to congratulate all Clubs on their recruitment and look forward to seeing the players put on a show for all fans in WBBL|09 and BBL|13.
Sydney Sixers Weber WBBL|09 Draft selections:
Pick 7: Chloe Tryon
Pick 25: Jess Kerr
Sydney Sixers WBBL|09 Squad:
Jade Allen, Maitlan Brown, Erin Burns, Lauren Cheatle, Ash Gardner, Emma Hughes, Jess Kerr, Kate Peterson, Ellyse Perry, Chloe Tryon.
Sydney Sixers KFC BBL|13 Draft selections:
Pick 3: Tom Curran (Retention)
Pick 14: James Vince
Pick 30: Rehan Ahmed
Sydney Sixers BBL|13 Squad:
Sean Abbott, Rehan Ahmed, Jackson Bird, Tom Curran, Joel Davies, Ben Dwarshuis, Jack Edwards, Moises Henriques, Daniel Hughes, Hayden Kerr, Todd Murphy, Steve O'Keefe, Kurtis Patterson, Josh Philippe, Jordan Silk, James Vince.