Former Aussie skipper makes surprise BBL move

Former Australia Test captain Tim Paine is set to add another string to his expanding coaching CV when he joins Adelaide Strikers as an assistant coach in KFC BBL|13.

Paine, who will also serve as Adam Voges' assistant for Australia A's first four-day match against New Zealand A in Brisbane next week, has quickly made the transition into coaching after retiring from first-class cricket at the end of last season.

The 38-year-old gloveman was also involved in mentoring Australia's best under-19 talent at a training camp at the National Cricket Centre in Brisbane earlier this year.

Strikers coach Jason Gillespie said Paine has "all the skills to be a fantastic coach".

"The experience he will bring is sure to help our players in all facets of the game and bring more positive elements to the way we play," he said.

Strikers General Manager of Cricket, Tim Nielsen, said Paine – who represented Hobart Hurricanes 44 times for a return of 1129 runs at 27.53 – would bring invaluable experience and his "ability to provide effective, direct feedback (was) top class".

Tasmania-born Paine captained Australia in 23 of his 35 Tests before stepping down for the role and away from the sport on the eve of the 2021-22 Ashes when details of a sexting scandal became public.

Despite not having a state contract, Paine returned to play seven Marsh Sheffield Shield matches for Tasmania last summer and one BBL game for the Hurricanes to "finish on a positive note" before hanging up the gloves in March after 154 first-class appearances.

Elsewhere, former Australian under-19 captain Joel Davies has inked his first BBL deal, signing a bumper three-year deal with the Sydney Sixers.

The 19-year-old allrounder made his Big Bash debut alongside older brother Ollie at the Sydney Thunder last summer as a replacement player and earned a NSW rookie contract in May.

He hit consecutive half-centuries for Australia against England in two Youth Tests last summer and was part of a tour to the MRF Academy in India earlier this month.

"I'm really grateful for the opportunity with the Thunder last season and I loved getting to play alongside Ollie, but I can't wait to get started with the Sixers," Davies said.

Sydney Sixers BBL|13 squad (so far): Sean Abbott, Jackson Bird, Joel Davies, Ben Dwarshuis, Jack Edwards, Moises Henriques, Daniel Hughes, Hayden Kerr, Todd Murphy, Steve O'Keefe, Kurtis Patterson, Josh Philippe, Jordan Silk

"The Sixers are a team that have seen a lot of success over the years so I'm excited to get amongst the group and learn as much as I can."

Brother Ollie, who was the Thunder's leading run-scorer with 333 striking at 133 in BBL|12, has extended his stay in Western Sydney, signing a two-year extension that will keep him at the club until the end of BBL|15.

The dynamic right-hander made his first-class debut for NSW towards the end of last season and will be hoping to lock down a spot in the Blues middle-order as they try to rebound from one of their worst Shield seasons in history in 2022-23.

"He's a clear talent and someone we were keen to get locked away," said Andrew Gilchrist, Head of Sydney Thunder.

"We saw last season what he is capable of in this competition. Ollie is someone that we see at our club long-term, and he's an important piece of the future for Sydney Thunder."

Sydney Thunder BBL|13 squad (so far): Cameron Bancroft, Ollie Davies, Matt Gilkes, Chris Green, Liam Hatcher, Nathan McAndrew, Blake Nikitaras, Alex Ross, Daniel Sams, Gurinder Sandhu, Jason Sangha, Tanveer Sangha, David Warner