The Melbourne Stars have finalised their 18-player squad for BBL|15, re-signing batting all-rounder Jonathan Merlo and welcoming fast-bowler Tom Whitney to the club.
This summer will be Merlo’s sixth Big Bash campaign, having previously played 17 matches across his time with the Stars (13 matches) and Renegades (4 matches).
“Jonathan is a three-dimensional player who adds some flexibility to our list,” Melbourne Stars T20 Performance Manager, Clint McKay, said.
“He’s at a good age to continue developing his skills and he’s familiar with batting out on the MCG.”
Whitney was exposed to the tournament for the first time last season, playing two matches for the Brisbane Heat.
The 23-year-old from Queensland will bolster the Stars’ fast bowling stocks this summer.
“Tom’s an up and coming quick with some good new ball skills,” McKay said.
“He’s shown an ability to take wickets early in the innings, so we’re really looking forward to working with him.”
In other squad news, the Stars’ WBBL side has signed English batter Maia Bouchier as an international replacement player for the backend of the season.
Bouchier has been signed to cover Marizanne Kapp, who has been selected in South Africa’s T20 International squad to face Ireland in December, with the all-rounder leaving Melbourne after next Monday’s clash with Hobart.
“It’s always great to have international talent on your list, and Maia will bring a lot of class to our batting line-up,” McKay said.
“She’s a familiar face for our group and it’ll be great to have her back at the Stars.”
The 26-year-old, who has represented England across all three formats of the game, played 26 Big Bash matches for the Stars across WBBL|07 and WBBL|09.
Melbourne Stars’ BBL|15 Squad:
Austin Anlezark
Scott Boland
Hilton Cartwright
Joe Clarke
Tom Curran
Sam Harper
Liam Hatcher
Campbell Kellaway
Glenn Maxwell
Hamish McKenzie
Jonathan Merlo
Haris Rauf
Tom Rogers
Peter Siddle
Mark Steketee
Marcus Stoinis
Mitch Swepson
Tom Whitney