Alex Ross, an Australian cricketer, has recently joined the BPL after playing in the Big Bash League with the Sydney Thunder. While he played with David Warner and Alex Hales in the Big Bash on January 14, franchise cricket’s demand sent him to Bangladesh for the first time yesterday, and he will need to swiftly acclimatise to new circumstances and bond with new teammates.
Ross, a hard-hitting middle-order batsman, was thrilled to be joining Durdanto Dhaka in the Bangladesh Premier League.
“I’m quite thrilled. It all occurred so fast for me, but I’m extremely pleased to be a part of it. I’ve seen it on TV and watched the game from the plane the other night, and the lads performed very well, so I’m delighted to join the squad,” Ross told reporters on Sunday.
Wickets are sticky in the BPL owing to the weather at this time of year. The Australian national squad struggled in Bangladesh, losing 4-1 in a T20 series in 2021. Ross stated that wickets in Australia had not traditionally been very batting-friendly.
“This year’s Big Bash featured several awful batting surfaces. So we had some practice spinning the ball, although at a slower pace. “It’s not as different as it appears on television,” he said.
While Warner, Steve Smith, and Shane Watson have already played in the BPL, few top-tier Australian cricketers have come to play in Bangladesh’s franchise cricket.
Alex Ross speaks with Durdanto Dhaka coach Khaled Mahmud Sujon.
When asked why there aren’t more Australians in the BPL, Ross said, “There are a few reasons. The lads play state cricket for New South Wales and Victoria, and they’re not permitted to leave the country very often since they’re playing four-day or one-day cricket outside of the Big Bash League. They won’t get NOCs, so if I had played state cricket, I’d simply play Big Bash.”
Another Australian, Ben Cutting, plays for the Sylhet Strikers in the Bangladesh Premier League. When asked whether Ross got any suggestions from his compatriot, the batter quipped, “No tips. He mentioned a handful of terrific places and a wonderful steak at the Crowne Plaza here last night. Nothing much has happened in cricket as of yet. He is probably giving me the incorrect advice.”