Marcus Stoinis wants to use the inaugural ILT20 league in the United Arab Emirates to get crucial games in a “busy year” after becoming the centrally contract Australian player to join the new tournament which crosses over with the Big Bash.
The all-rounder will only make a fleeting appearance in the back-end of UAE tournament, having pledged to play out the Big Bash with the Melbourne Stars , who are currently of the bottom of the table and unlikely to make the finals again.
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Stoinis, a member of Australia’s victorious T20 World Cup winning team in 2021, will join Chris Lynn, the only other Australian currently signed to the tournament, which begins on January 13.
“It‘s a massive opportunity for me personally to notch up some crucial playing time at a tournament like this in the UAE ahead of a busy year that’s going to be full of cricket,” he said.
“These are extremely exciting times for international franchise cricket and I am glad to be playing a part of a team like Sharjah Warriors in the league’s history-making inaugural edition.
“I just can‘t wait to team up with some of the world’s best all-rounders in the Sharjah Warriors squad.”
The new league, funded by Indian Premier League franchise owners, can sign up to nine overseas players on salaries worth up to $650,000 for the four-and-a-half-week season.
Big names from England including Dawid Malan and Chris Woakes are already signed up.
Australia doesn’t play any T20 international matches until August, but will play three ODIs in India March as key preparation for the World Cup to also be held in India in November.
Stoinis, who has made just 94 runs in six Big Bash innings this season, will also head to the Indian Premier League in March having been retained by the Lucknow Super Giants for the 2023 season.
