Melbourne Renegades signs Imran Tahir, Noor Ahmad for upcoming BBL

MELBOURNE: Melbourne Renegades on Thursday confirmed the signing of two overseas stars-- Imran Tahir and Noor Ahmad for the upcoming edition of the Big Bash League (BBL).

South African leg-spinner Tahir brings more than 300 T20 matches of experience to the Renegades and will be available for matches after Christmas. His absence in pre-Christmas fixtures will be filled by Afghanistan spinner Noor Ahmad.

With the signing of Mohammad Nabi confirmed this week and the Noor/Tahir combination also secured, the Renegades have one international spot remaining on the roster following Cricket Australia's announcement which permits each club to sign a third international player.

For the first time, all three international signings will be able to take the field in a starting XI this season.

"Imran Tahir has excelled in the T20 format right across the world and he'll provide another genuine wicket-taking threat," Renegades Coach Michael Klinger said in an official statement.

"We've been tracking Noor Ahmad closely for more than a year now and although he's in the early stages of his career, he's an exciting prospect and he has a few tricks that'll make life difficult for batsmen," he added.

Tahir is currently playing with the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in the Indian Premier League and was the competition's leading wicket taker last year.

"I've watched the Big Bash from afar have admired how competitive it is. I'm looking forward to joining my new Renegades teammates and working hard with them to produce a successful season," said Tahir.

Noor earned a contract in the Caribbean Premier League earlier this year and won a T20 trophy under Mohammad Nabi's captaincy in 2019.

"The Renegades fans and followers of the Big Bash may not know much about Noor at this stage but I can tell you, he is a very exciting talent who I feel has a big future in the game," Nabi said.

Renegades squad (to date): Noor Ahmad (AFG), Cameron Boyce, Zak Evans, Aaron Finch (c), Jake Fraser-McGurk, Sam Harper, Marcus Harris, Mackenzie Harvey, Jon Holland, Shaun Marsh, Mohammad Nabi (AFG), James Pattinson, Kane Richardson, Will Sutherland, Imran Tahir (RSA), Beau Webster.