KIM GARTH and GABY LEWIS are among the eight Rebel Women’s Big Bash League Associate Rookies set to take part in the second edition of the competition in Australia.
The pair will join players from Scotland, Papua New Guinea, Nepal, Hong Kong and China in the joint initiative between Cricket Australia (CA) and the International Cricket Council (ICC) which provides the opportunity to further develop emerging players.
Irish vice-captain Garth will join the Sydney Sixers, while 15 year-old all-rounder Lewis will be part of the Hobart Hurricanes squad.
Garth, who was part of the Hurricanes squad in 2015, is relishing the opportunity to be part of the competition again.
"I'm really excited to get the opportunity to join up with the Sydney Sixers - last year was a great experience with the Hobart Hurricanes. My game really benefitted from working with coach Julia Price and being in the WBBL environment. I was delighted to bring this form into both the South African and Bangladesh series," said Garth.
"I will be working really hard on my game during my time in Sydney, which will also be great preparation for the World Cup Qualifiers in Sri Lanka in February."
For Lewis, it'll be her first experience of cricket in Australia and she is planning to make the most of the opportunity.
"I was thrilled to be nominated for the Rookie WBBL as I had heard so much about it from the other girls who went last year. I am lucky to be hooking up with the Hobart Hurricanes as we had Brooke Hepburn staying with us for a season as well as having Julia Price as an assistant coach for the T20 World Cup in India.
"I will also be playing some local club games, which will be excellent preparation in the lead up to the World Cup qualifiers - if selected! It’s all so exciting really and I can't wait for the tournament to begin.”
The program provides players the opportunity to be exposed to elite cricket, with the rookies to train with their WBBL club during a two-week placement and attend home matches during that period. In the event of an injury to a contracted player, rebel WBBL clubs will be permitted to use their Rookie as a local replacement player, which would not contribute to the club’s overseas player limit.
“The ICC is very excited by this program, which provides a fantastic opportunity for some of the top female cricketers in Associate and Affiliate Cricket to experience and learn from the best female players in the world. The commitment from Cricket Australia to provide opportunities such as these is very much valued and highlights the benefits of a globally integrated approach to the growth of the game,” said ICC Interim Head of Global Development Andy Hobbs
For more information about the Rebel WBBL please visit bigbash.com.au.