Adelaide Strikers sign Ollie Pope ahead of BBL 14
Adelaide Strikers have signed England's Ollie Pope ahead of the upcoming edition of the Big Bash League. The 26-year-old, who has 1295 T20 runs at a strike rate of 132.82, has been roped in as the Strikers' pre-draft overseas signing.
The 14th edition of the BBL is all set to kick off on December 15, 2024, with the final scheduled to be played on January 27, 2025.
Adelaide Strikers have won the title once when they clinched the seventh edition in February 2018 by defeating the Hobart Hurricanes by 25 runs in the final.
"Signing with the Adelaide Strikers is an incredible opportunity for me" - Ollie Pope
Ollie Pope is currently representing England in the three-match Test series against the visiting Sri Lankan side. He recently became England's 82nd Test captain after being named the stand-in skipper following Ben Stokes' injury. Stokes has been ruled out of the entire English summer following a hamstring injury.
Pope captained Surrey in the ongoing 2024 Vitality Blast T20, scoring 205 runs in seven innings at a strike rate of 133.98. Surrey will face Durham in the first quarterfinal of this year's Vitality Blast T20 at the Kennington Oval in London on September 3.
Excited about the new opportunity with the Adelaide Strikers, an elated Ollie Pope stated that he has been following the Big Bash League since he was a kid. He opened up by saying (via cricket.com.au):
"Signing with the Adelaide Strikers is an incredible opportunity for me. I've been watching the Big Bash since I was a kid, and it's always been a competition I've been eager to be a part of. Adelaide is such a fantastic city with a vibrant cricket culture, and the Adelaide Oval is one of the most iconic grounds in the world. The chance to rub shoulders with some incredible players and contribute to the team's success is something I'm truly excited about."
The Ollie Pope-led England bowled out Sri Lanka for 236 runs in the first innings of the ongoing first Test at the Emirates Old Trafford in Manchester.