Jonny Bairstow Set To Join Melbourne Stars For Big Bash League 2020-21

England limited-overs star Jonny Bairstow is set to join Melbourne Star for Big Bash League (BBL) 2020, according to a report in Daily Mail. The Big Bash League 2020-21 season is slated to get underway from December 3, with Adelaide Strikers set to take on Melbourne Renegades in their opening fixture.

According to the report, Bairstow will be announced as the new recruit for the BBL franchise in the next few days. Apart from the top-order batsman, David Malan is also set to join Hobart Hurricanes for the upcoming BBL season.

“English players are in demand with the eight Big Bash franchises as the competition looks to offset the loss of its homegrown players to international bubbles this coming winter by increasing contracts for overseas signings beyond £100,000 via the use of central funds,” according to the Daily Mail report.

“Cricket Australia have appointed Trent Woodhill as a player acquisition consultant in a bid to attract the highest calibre of imports possible – Woodhill was recently with the Australian team as batting coach on the limited-overs tour of England,” he added.

England opener Jason Roy is being pursued by Perth Scorchers and Joe Denly understood to be interesting Melbourne Renegades, the report mentioned. Meanwhile among other England stars Tom Banton and Liam Livingstone are set to feature in the tournament again.

Bairstow will participate in the BBL at the back of his participation in the IPL 2020. The opener is a key member of the SunRisers Hyderabad (SRH) franchise. He, alongside, Australia opener David Warner had wreaked havoc on the opposition in the previous edition of the IPL and will look to carry on in similar fashion in the upcoming edition.