Adelaide: West Indies allrounder Kieron Pollard has been signed by South Australia for the domestic Twenty20 Big Bash tournament in December, joining Pakistan star Shahid Afridi in a powerful batting lineup.
Pollard, whose signing was announced on Thursday, scored 54 off 18 balls in Trinidad and Tobago`s preliminary round win over Australia`s New South Wales in the Twenty20 Champions League in India this month.
The South Australian Cricket Association announced on Tuesday that Afridi, who was player of the tournament at the inaugural Twenty20 World Cup in 2007, would replace Sri Lankan spinner Ajantha Mendis as one of the Redbacks` international recruits.
Afridi and 22-year-old Pollard, a punishing middle-order batsman and medium pace bowler, had both been reported as possible targets by New South Wales, which recently won the inaugural Twenty20 Champions League.
State teams competing in the Australian Twenty20 league are allowed two imported players. West Indies captain Chris Gayle and Dwayne Bravo are among the other leading foreign recruits in the domestic competition.
The first- and second-place finishers in the six-team Big Bash competition will qualify for the 2010 Champions League.
Bureau Report
