Steve Smith will light up the Big Bash League again this summer after confirming he will return for the Sydney Sixers for BBL13.
The announcement marks the second straight season that Smith will pull on the Sixers’ magenta after an explosive stint for the club in 2022/23.
Notching 346 runs across just five appearances, with a sizzling strike rate of 174.74, Smith positioned himself just outside the league’s top-10 run-scorers for the season.
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With the tally he also wrote himself into Sixers’ folklore once more, becoming the fourth player – and first male – to score triple figures in a single match.
Smith produced two of the most entertaining performances in BBL history, racking up back-to-back hundreds last January.
This included an unbeaten 125 from 66 deliveries against the Sydney Thunder to set the fifth-highest individual score in the competition’s history.
Speaking from India where he is part of Australia’s T20I series, Smith said he was delighted to be back playing for a club that means so much to him.
“It’s great to be back in the Sixers shirt. I’ve got some really fond memories playing for the Sixers,” he said.
“I’m an original, [I was] a part of the first squad, and really enjoyed my time playing last year for the five games and the finals that I played. So, I’m keen to get out there again.”
The 34-year-old will line up in the Sixers’ opening match when they host the Melbourne Renegades at the SCG on Friday, December 8.
Smith’s inclusion sets up a blockbuster clash with the run-scoring machine to face Australian teammates and Renegades recruits Nathan Lyon and Adam Zampa.
Following his Test duties with the Australian side, Smith is expected to return for the Sydney derby on January 12.
The Sydney Sixers fell one step short of a grand final berth in BBL12 after suffering an upset loss to the Brisbane Heat in the challenger final.