The Adelaide Strikers have got the services of Ollie Pope who is currently leading England in a test series at home against Sri Lanka in the absence of regular skipper Ben Stokes. Pope was signed by the franchise via their overseas player draft.
Pope, however, will miss the opening game for the Strikers as England's tour of New Zealand will end only on the 18th of December. The Strikers will be playing their opening game on the 17th.
🏴 English Test Captain Ollie Pope is joining us Downunder for #BBL14! Welcome Ollie! Read more: https://t.co/oZTuDHTtUB
— Adelaide Strikers (@StrikersBBL) August 21, 2024
BBL and WBBL tickets on sale now.#ourcityourteam pic.twitter.com/4JyngEH66h
Pope, will link up with the local Aussie stars Chris Lynn, Alex Carey, and D'Arcy Short.
The English bloke has decent returns in T20 Cricket with an average of 33 in 50 games for Surrey. However, his number was below par in the recently concluded 'The Hundred' as Pope could only muster 35 runs in 5 outings, resulting in the London Spirit finishing at the last spot in the tournament.
"Getting snapped up by Adelaide Strikers is a great feeling for me, Adelaide has a rich cricket history in BBL, and the Adelaide Oval is one of the most iconic grounds in the world, I'm all pumped to play for the Strikers and entertain the fans as much as possible". Pope Quipped
Strikers' newly appointed head coach Tim Paine was chuffed to bits after getting the England batter onboard.
"Pope is a great addition to our lineup with a great track record, his leadership and wicket-keeping abilities can help us grow as a team," said Paine.