Sydney Thunder have landed another major signing ahead of KFC BBL|16, with New Zealand quick Trent Boult the latest international recruit to Head Coach Andrew ‘Freddie’ Flintoff’s squad.
Boult, who made his Big Bash debut with the Melbourne Stars in BBL|12, joins fellow countryman star Lockie Ferguson at Thunder, with both international quicks locked in for the entire BBL|16 season, including finals.
The left-arm quick’s arrival in Western Sydney is the latest chapter in a storied career, which has seen him claim 372 wickets in 325 games for both New Zealand and across the world’s leading T20 competitions including the Big Bash, IPL, The Hundred, and SA20, winning five titles.
Now 37-years-old, Boult is showing no signs of slowing down, most recently claiming 16 wickets in 10 matches for the Edinburgh Castle Rockers in the inaugural European T20 Premier League, with best figures of 5-24.
His ability to move the new ball both ways has made him one of T20 cricket’s most feared fast bowlers. He is the owner of one of the IPL’s most unique records – his 31 first over wickets is the most in the competition’s history.
Boult said: “I’m really excited to be playing in the Big Bash again and joining Lockie at Thunder.
“I’m looking to enjoy myself. I know how Lockie plays – the way he gets involved is what I’m hoping to mirror and make a mark like he has, not just with the team but the fans as well.
“Cricket has given me so much over the years and I’m still at the stage where I love going out there, contributing, taking wickets and trying to be aggressive in the powerplay.
“With this Thunder team, why not go all the way? It’s a well-balanced squad with some great players and a lot of experience. Having Freddie there as well – every cricketer idolised Freddie as a kid, I was one of them. I’m sure he wants to bring the group together, create a great culture, and work towards something special.
“We’re trying to achieve the top prize, and it will take small steps, but I’m looking forward to hopefully achieving something special with this club.”
Sydney Thunder Head Coach Andrew Flintoff said: “Trent has an amazing reputation for being a great bloke, a team player and a world-class performer.
“Having a couple Kiwis in the team who have played a lot of cricket together over the years brings a level of familiarity and I think they complement each other really well as a right-arm and left-arm pairing.
“One of the things we haven’t been able to do in recent times is take wickets with the new ball, so hopefully these two can remedy that.”
Sydney Thunder BBL|16 Squad:
Head Coach: Andrew Flintoff
Contracted Players:
Cameron Bancroft, Trent Boult (NZ), Sam Billings (ENG), Chris Green, Lockie Ferguson (NZ), Ryan Hadley, Sam Konstas, Matthew Gilkes, Nic Maddinson, Aidan O’Connor, Daniel Sams, Tanveer Sangha, David Warner
