The Melbourne Stars have rounded out their 18-player squad for BBL|15, re-signing batting all-rounder Jonathan Merlo and adding Queensland fast bowler Tom Whitney.
Whitney was exposed to the tournament for the first time last season, playing two matches for the Brisbane Heat and taking two wickets.
The 23-year-old from Queensland will bolster the Stars’ fast bowling stocks this summer, with the side set to be without Scott Boland on Ashes duty.
“Tom’s an up and coming quick with some good new ball skills,” Melbourne Stars T20 Performance Manager Clint McKay said.
“He’s shown an ability to take wickets early in the innings, so we’re really looking forward to working with him.”
Merlo has previously played 17 matches across his time with the Stars (13 matches) and Renegades (4 matches).
The all-rounder played 2 games in BBL|14, scoring 11 runs but didn’t bowl an over.
“Jonathan is a three-dimensional player who adds some flexibility to our list,” McKay said.
“He’s at a good age to continue developing his skills and he’s familiar with batting out on the MCG.”
Click here to view our predicted Melbourne Stars’ Round 1 line-up
