The Brisbane Heat are set to field one of the KFC T20 Big Bash League’s most potent bowling attacks after agreeing to terms with West Indies leg-spinner Samuel Badree.
The world’s top ranked T20 bowler is coming off stints with the Champions League-winning Chennai Super Kings and a red hot run at this year’s World T20 in Bangladesh.
Badree claimed 11 wickets at an average cost of 10.27 runs during the West Indies run to the World T20 semi-finals in March and April before being left off the Super Kings final XI title team earlier this month due to rules which limit import players to four per side.
Brisbane coach Stuart Low saw Badree firsthand during last year’s Champions League and has been tracking the 33-year-old since.
“Samuel bowled really well against us and throughout the Champions League and so we kept an eye on him after that,” Law said.
“He’s a different sort of leg spin bowler but very effective.
“We know we will have two world class spinners for the majority of the tournament and we believe Samuel will bring to the table with us what he has done around the world with such success.
“You look up his record with the West Indies and the domestic teams he has played for and it is first rate. We’re sure he is going to be keen to tick the same box with us.”
Badree is set to join New Zealand’s Daniel Vettori to form a formidable spin duo in this summer’s BBL along with ex-England international Andrew Flintoff, who will reportedly join Brisbane’s impressive bowling lineup after the 36-year-old recently came out of a five-year retirement to play for Lancashire in England’s T20 Blast tournament.
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