Hobart recruit Dawid Malan, the top-ranked Twenty20 batsman in the world, has become the latest Englishman to sign up for the 10th edition of the Big Bash League.
Malan lacks the profile of some teammates in England's star-studded T20 side but there is no doubting his effectiveness, as Australia know all too well.
Malan was the leading run-scorer in the recent T20 series between Australia and England.
The 33-year-old also currently sits atop the International Cricket Council's T20 batting rankings.
Quarantine requirements and COVID-19 restrictions scuppered BBL organisers' hopes of staging an international player draft.
But Malan, Alex Hales (Sydney Thunder) and Liam Livingstone (Perth Scorchers) have recently signed BBL contracts, while fellow Englishmen Tom Curran (Sydney Sixers) and Tom Banton (Brisbane Heat) are set to return on multi-year deals.
There is speculation that Jonny Bairstow and Jason Roy could also be part of the 2020-21 BBL season.
It means England's proposed white-ball tour of South Africa in November-December, which is yet to be locked in, could have a major knock-on effect for BBL clubs.
"We follow - as we do every year - the FTP (Future Tours Program) and movements of international schedules," BBL boss Alistair Dobson said last week.
"There will be some potential disruptions, as there are every year, but ... we've had more interest than ever before from players and agents."
The BBL season is currently slated to start on December 3, but that date is expected to change as part of a rejigged calender.
Cricket Australia is waiting to lock in dates for a four-Test series against India before finalising a BBL schedule.
The signature of Malan, who was part of England's 2017-18 Ashes squad, comes after the Hurricanes recruited Peter Handscomb on a two-year deal.
Australian Associated Press
