Watson will be tasked with mentoring the side besides captaining and ticking his own form with the bat © Getty
Former Australian all-rounder, Shane Watson has signed a contract extension with Sydney Thunder which will see him feature in the BBL for at least the next couple of years. Watson, who turned 37 earlier this month, has shown signs of sparkling form in the latest IPL and is likely to lead a relatively younger Thunder side in the next season of BBL.
“It’s exciting to be able to get a few more years with the Thunder,” Watson said. It was nice to be able to contribute last season as well as throughout the PSL (Pakistan Super League) and IPL,” he added.
Watson was Thunder’s leading run-getter last season, where he compiled 331 runs at an average of 37 with an impressive strike-rate of 139. With Thunder squad oozing with plenty of young talents, Watson will be tasked with mentoring the side besides captaining and ticking his own form with the bat.
“Part of Sydney Thunder is developing the next generation of Australian cricketers. We’ve got a lot of young talent, and the squad will be younger next season,” Watson noted. The beauty of playing (NSW Premier Cricket) means I can continue to help out and get to know the guys before the week leading into the first game.
Sydney Thunder,on Friday, also announced the signing of promising all-rounder Daniel Sams who played for Sydney Sixers in his maiden BBL season last year. Sams came in as a replacement player and nipped out seven wickets from six games which included a four-fer on his debut game against the Thunder.
“I’m looking forward to getting back out there and being successful, hopefully getting Thunder to the finals and winning a trophy,” a delighted Sams, said.
Shane Bond, the new Sydney Thunder coach termed the deal as a ‘great signing and had high praise for the all-rounder. “I first saw him when he came out and played for Canterbury,” he said.
“They spoke really highly of him there, not just with the ball but with the bat after he scored a lot of runs. He’s a good all-round talent and that is a real bonus for us,” he added.
Shared News • Last updated on Sat, 30 Jun, 2018, 09:18 AM
