Big Bash franchise signs Ashes winner

Iain Strachan

Big Bash franchise signs Ashes winner image

Ian Bell has agreed to join Perth Scorchers for the 2016-17 Big Bash League.

MORE:  Australia hit by another injury blow on Sri Lanka tour

The 34-year-old middle order batsman is yet to feature in Australia's lucrative Twenty20 competition.

But his reduced England commitments - the stylish right-hander has not played for his country in any format since November 2015 - have enabled him to join the star names making the annual migration Down Under during the northern hemisphere winter. 

Bell enjoyed a strong season with Warwickshire Bears in the T20 Blast - he was the competition's fifth-highest scorer with 489 runs at an average of 40.75, with a strike rate of 130.74.

"The Scorchers have a fantastic record in the competition having made every finals series and winning two titles so I'm looking forward to hopefully helping them do that again this year," Bell said in a statement.

Bell will be joined at the Scorchers by David Willey for what will be his second season, although the Yorkshire all-rounder is only available for the first part of the competition due to England's limited-overs matches in India, which start in January.

Iain Strachan