BBL: David Warner signs two-year contract with Sydney Thunder, Smith pens three-year deal with Sixers

Sydney [Australia]: David Warner signed a two-year deal with Big Bash League outfit Sydney Thunder, while Steven Smith signed a three-year contract with Sydney Sixers.

After ending his adventures in international cricket, Warner will be available for a full BBL season for the first time in his decorated career. In the past two years, Warner has played eight games for Thunder, including the one where he arrived at the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG) in a helicopter last year.

"Davey is popular wherever he plays, right around the world, particularly in India, and I know the South Asian communities in Sydney's west will get right behind him at Thunder. In Davey, we get a world-class talent with almost 20 years of T20 experience, and now that he has retired from international cricket, we can count on his full focus and commitment for the entire tournament, including the finals," Trent Copeland, the Thunder general manager, said in a statement released by the franchise.

Smith was associated with the Sixers' side and lifted the first edition of the BBL title in 2012. However, over the years, his appearances for the franchise have been sporadic.

The seasoned Australian batter also holds the record of becoming the first male Sixers player to score a century. Smith missed out on a spot in Australia's squad for the T20 World Cup earlier this year. He travelled to the US in July and played under Ricky Ponting, coached side Washington Freedom in the Major League Cricket.

He captained the side to a famous title win. Meanwhile, ahead of the 14th edition of the tournament, Smith's teammates, Marnus Labuschagne and Alex Carey have re-signed with Brisbane Heat and Adelaide Strikers, respectively.

"His game sense is exceptional, and that is a huge asset to us on and off the field," Brisbane Heat coach Johan Botha said about Labuschagne. While Carey has signed a four-year deal with the Strikers. The southpaw batter's all 56 BBL appearances during his eight-year career in the BBL have been for the Strikers.

(ANI)