BBL 2018 | Sydney Thunder recruit Joe Root, Jos Butler for upcoming season

English Test skipper Joe Root was overlooked during the IPL auction back in January this year and couldn't fulfil the dream of participating the tournament this year. Root has played only 12 T20 matches since England's loss to West Indies in the World Twenty20 final in April 2016. Eight have come in outings for England and four for Yorkshire in county cricket.

However, after a promising display in the ODI series against India last month and some consistent performances with the bat in the ongoing Test series against India, Root has been picked up by Sydney Thunders to be a part of the franchise for the upcoming season of the Big Bash Twenty20 League.

“Everyone you speak to that has played in the Big Bash finds it a really interesting tournament and watching it you can see that. You want to be involved in it and I’m really excited to get that opportunity with Sydney Thunder,” Root said in a statement on Friday.

Root, along with English teammate Jos Buttler, will both play the first half of the BBL season for the Sydney-based franchise in a window between England’s tour to Sri Lanka and its series against the West Indies. Buttler has previously had two stints in the Big Bash, where he first featured for the Renegades in 2013-14 for whom he played five games with a top score of 61. The RR player opened and kept wickets for the Thunder last season, hitting 67 and 81 during a six-game run before he left to team up with England's ODI squad.

England are not involved in any fixtures in the month of December with the third and final Test against Sri Lanka set to end on 27 November. However, the three lions are scheduled to tour West Indies for three Tests, five ODIs, and a T20 from January to March. This will allow the British pair to play up to seven matches in the BBL before they depart for national duty.