South African player Imran Tahir and Afghan player Noor Ahmad have both been signed by Melbourne Renegades for the upcoming BBL.
The Melbourne Renegades have chosen to upgrade their overseas roster of players as they held a double signing for Imran Tahir and Noor Ahmad. However, Tahir will be missing out the first part of the season. With that, he 15-year-old Ahmad will fill in his spot first.
Talking about their selection, Renegades coach Michael Klinger said, ‘Imran Tahir has excelled in the T20 format right across the world and he'll provide another genuine wicket-taking threat. We've (also) been tracking Noor Ahmad closely for more than a year now and although he's in the early stages of his career, he's an exciting prospect and he has a few tricks that'll make life difficult for batsmen'.
41-year-old Tahir is currently playing with the Chennai Super Kings in the ongoing IPL. With that, he becomes a great addition to the Renegades as he comes with the experience of having played more than 300 T20s. Still, this will be his first time to play for a franchise of the BBL.
Tahir says, ‘I've watched the Big Bash from afar (and) have admired how competitive it is. I'm looking forward to joining my new Renegades team-mates and working hard with them to produce a successful season’.
Meanwhile, Ahmad was seen to have been a part of the Shpageeza League champions, Mis Ainak Knights. He finished the season as the team’s third-highest wicket-taker with a record of eight scalps, an economy rate of 6.48, and 11 wickets. This also served as his debut where he played under Mohammad Nabi who will also play with him in the Renegades.
With that, Nabi lauded the teenager by saying, ‘The Renegades fans and followers of the Big Bash may not know much about Noor at this stage, but I can tell you (that) he is a very exciting talent who I feel has a big future in the game’.
So far, the Renegades still has one spot left on their roster for another international player. The Renegades will be seen playing against the Adelaide Strikers on the opening day of the BBL on December 3. To learn more about the team, check out the league’s page on Betwala.
READ MORE: What is the Big Bash League?
