Bangladesh leg-spinner Rishad Hossain will return to the Hobart Hurricanes for a second Big Bash League season after the Australian franchise retained him for BBL|16. He will join forces with Australian leg-spinner Adam Zampa, giving Hobart two specialist options for the middle overs.
The Hurricanes confirmed Rishad’s return on Thursday after he impressed in his first Big Bash campaign, taking 15 wickets in 12 matches at an average of 20.86 and an economy rate of 7.82. His best figures were three for 26, and the performances earned him the club’s BBL Player of the Year award.
Rishad has signed a one-year deal and is available for Hobart’s first eight matches of the upcoming season, according to cricket.com.au.
Hobart’s general manager of high performance, Salliann Beams, said the spinner’s desire to return played an important role in securing the deal.
“Rishad made it really clear to us that he loved his time in Hobart last season and wanted to come back, and that certainly meant a lot to us,” Beams said.
The Hurricanes had already strengthened their spin attack by signing Zampa, but Beams said they wanted to explore every option to bring Rishad back.
The Australian international has long been one of the leading white-ball leg-spinners, while Rishad made an immediate impact in his debut Big Bash season. Beams said their different strengths would give Hobart greater flexibility when selecting bowling combinations to suit conditions and opponents.
Rishad was Hobart’s leading wicket-taker last season, playing all 12 matches and adapting quickly to Australian conditions. His ability to attack through the middle overs helped him establish himself in the side.
The Hurricanes originally selected him in the BBL|14 overseas-player draft, but Bangladesh Premier League commitments prevented him from joining the team that season. He finally made his Big Bash debut last summer and rewarded the franchise’s faith with an award-winning campaign.
His return alongside Zampa gives Hobart an experienced Australian international and a Bangladesh spinner who has already demonstrated his wicket-taking ability in the competition. Rishad will now look to build on that first season when the Hurricanes begin their BBL|16 campaign.
