Melbourne Renegades, facing a wicketkeeping crisis due to injuries and departures, have turned to Netherlands captain Scott Edwards to bolster their lineup for the concluding two matches of the Big Bash League (BBL) season. Edwards, who also holds Australian citizenship, will step in for the injured Joe Clarke and the departing Quinton de Kock in Renegades’ depleted squad.
Currently with the Netherlands squad on a training tour in South Africa, Edwards will cut his trip short to return to Melbourne, where he grew up. Renegades sought Edwards’ services after Clarke’s season-ending quad injury left them without a specialist wicketkeeper-batter. With de Kock set to depart for the SA20 tournament after the match against Hobart Hurricanes, Renegades were in dire need of a reliable replacement.
Renegades had previously relied on de Kock, Clarke, and the recent recruit Jordan Cox, who played as a specialist batter but had limited experience as a wicketkeeper. Edwards, 27, who qualifies as an Australian local, had been available for the BBL but went unsigned by any team despite an impressive showing in the Netherlands’ ODI World Cup campaign, showcasing both batting prowess and wicketkeeping skills.
Despite Edwards’ success in Victoria’s Premier Cricket competition and previous stints in Cricket Australia’s second-tier tournaments, he hadn’t secured a BBL contract until now. Renegades will enlist Edwards for the second Melbourne derby against Stars on January 13 and their final regular-season clash versus Sydney Thunder on January 17.
Additionally, in response to Mujeeb Ur Rahman’s absence due to the revocation of his No-Objection Certificate by the Afghanistan Cricket Board, Renegades have recruited West Indies left-arm spinner Akeal Hosein for the last two games of the season.
Renegades, navigating a turbulent season marked by captaincy changes and unexpected exclusions, are banking on Edwards and Hosein’s inclusion to fortify their squad as they aim to conclude the BBL campaign on a competitive note.
