Dec 24, 2021: The Sydney Sixers took a big step on Friday as the franchise announced that it had signed Pakistani league spinner Shadab Khan for the remainder of the 11th edition of the Big Bash League (BBL).

Injured Sixers are already suffering from the ouster of Ben Manetti following a neck fracture and after Steve O’Keefe, who has been sidelined for two matches due to a strained calf.

This won’t be Shadab Khan’s first rodeo at the BBL, as the Pakistani vice-captain has previously played for the Brisbane Heat in the seventh edition of the league when he was just 19 years old. In all three games, he took six wickets at an impressive economy rate of 7.08, giving the Sixers fans a glimpse of what they can expect for the rest of the summer. The 23-year-old, known as an extraordinary ball turner, made his debut with Islamabad United during the 2016-17 Pakistan Super League season.

He made his T20I debut in March 2017 against the West Indies at the age of 19, before following up with his Test and ODI debut next month. Shadab has been economically advantageous for Pakistan when it comes to T20 cricket, taking 73 wickets in 63 T20I matches with an impressive economy rate of 7.11 at an average of 21.79.

The Pakistani spinners were disappointed after they failed to beat Australia in the semi-finals of the ICC T20 World Cup. However, Shadab Khan took nine wickets in the tournament, including a 4/27 run in the semi-final against Australia.

Khan had bagged the wickets of David Warner, Mitch Marsh, Steve Smith and Glenn Maxwell in the match.

Shadab is the fifth Pakistani signer to be announced for BBL | 11 and is featured in this year’s tournament along with Haris Rauf, Syed Fereydoon and Ahmed Danial (Melbourne Stars) and Muhammad Hasnain (Sydney Thunder).

Sixers head coach Greg Sheppard was happy to work with Shadab Khan. “Shadab joins us as a cover for the bowlers we’ve lost and Lloyd Pope and Todd Murphy have teamed up with two other young and passionate spinners,” he said. “All three youngsters are still learning their skills but they have shown at different levels that they can be world class.