ADELAIDE: Afghanistan´s spin sensation Rashid Khan will play for the Adelaide Strikers in Australia´s Twenty20 Big Bash League later this year, the club said on Thursday.
The 18-year-old, who was one of the most successful bowlers in this year´s Indian Premier League, will become the first Afghan to feature at the tournament.
“I am very happy to have signed with the Strikers for the BBL,” the leg-spinner said in a club statement.
“It is a huge honour to be a part of such a great tournament and even more of an honour to be the first Afghanistan player to participate on the BBL stage.”
Adelaide Strikers coach Jason Gillespie hailed Rashid´s signing as a “major coup”.
“Rashid has set the world alight in T20 cricket with his energy, enthusiasm, and great control for a young guy,” Gillespie said.
“He has some great variations, can bowl stump-to-stump and can be very hard to pick.
“We´re delighted to be able to offer him the opportunity to play for the Adelaide Strikers.”
Rashid has claimed 63 wickets in 29 one-day internationals, including the fourth best figures in one-day history — 7 for 18 against the West Indies in June.
He also became the first bowler to take a hat-trick in the T20 Caribbean Premier League, playing for the Guyana Amazon Warriors.
The BBL season starts on December 20.