Leg spinner Poonam Yadav will appear in WBBL for the first time along with a record number of her India teammates.
Spinner Poonam Yadav became the eighth Indian cricketer set to play the Women’s Big Bash League after Brisbane Heat signed her in for the upcoming season.
Yadav is currently with the Indian squad in Australia for the ongoing multi-format tour. She played in two of the three ODIs against Australia but did not find a place in the team in the lone Pink-ball Test that followed.
Yadav has built a reputation against Australian batters after she took 4 for 19 in last year’s T20 World Cup opener and Heat will be hoping she can repeat some of that form for them.
Yadav is the eighth India player to sign a deal for the upcoming season joining Smriti Mandhana, Deepti Sharma (both Sydney Thunder), Shafali Verma, Radha Yadav (both Sydney Sixers), , Richa Ghosh (Hobart Hurricanes), Jemimah Rodrigues and Harmanpreet Kaur (both Melbourne Renegades). Her signing is the final international spot in the competition to be confirmed.
“When we lost Amelia Kerr, we were confident we could back our group to give a good account of themselves regardless, but adding Poonam’s skill and her competitiveness is a huge result,” Heat coach Ashley Noffke was quoted as saying on cricket.com.au.
“She is a different type of bowler to Melie, and we are clear on how we can best utilise her talents in our line-up. Jess Jonassen has played against her and as captain she is very keen to work alongside her now she is with the Heat.”
Yadav has played one Test, 54 one-day internationals and 71 T20 internationals since making her debut for India in 2013.
