Sydney, September 18: The Big Bash League (BBL) franchise Sydney Thunder on Wednesday announced the signing of South African all-rounder Chris Morris for the upcoming season. Morris, who has played four Tests, 42 ODIs and 23 T20Is, joins the club on a one-year deal. The 32-year-old all-rounder has a wealth of experience in the Indian Premier League (IPL), playing a total of 61 matches since his debut in 2013.

In the ICC World Cup 2019 which concluded in July, Morris scalped 13 wickets for his team. He said the ambition of playing in the BBL has been a long-held one. "Obviously since the tournament started with the Big Bash, it's one of the tournaments that any cricketer would want to play in. For me the way I looked at it was, it was part of my cricketing career bucket list. It was a no brainer when Sydney Thunder came calling," Morris said. Big Bash League 2019–20: Sydney Sixers Re-Signs James Vince for BBL Season Nine.

Morris said that he is looking forward to working with one of his childhood heroes, Thunder head coach Shane Bond. "Shane was one of my heroes growing up, I told him this a few times very gingerly. I've got quite a good relationship with him. In the IPL we always chat, we talk about bowling and just, in general, get on quite well," Morris said.

Bond said he is looking forward to utilising Morris' ability with both bat and ball, as well as drawing on his extensive T20 experience. "Chris is someone who I had my eye on. It's always great to have a player who can change the game with bat and ball. He's an experienced, hardened cricketer who bowls 90mph and smacks it with the bat. Those players are very rare, so he brings a unique skill set," Bond said.

"I'm looking forward to welcoming his personality and competitiveness to the team as well," he added. Morris will feature in the South African Mzansi Super League before joining his Thunder teammates in Sydney ahead of the BBL season. This announcement follows the signing of emerging stars Matthew Gilkes, Jonathan Cook, and Ollie Davies. Sydney Thunder is set to open its ninth BBL campaign against the Brisbane Heat at the Gabba on December 17.

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