Warner signs with Sydney Sixers

David Warner will play for the Big Bash League (BBL) title-holders Sydney Sixers in the 2012-13 season. Warner has transferred to the Sixers - the team from Sydney's eastern suburbs - from the Sydney Thunder, whom he captained in the inaugural BBL.

The transfer was expected, after Warner had expressed interest in the Sixers and failed to strike a deal with the Thunder, leaving him unsigned at the end of the competition's primary recruitment window. Subsequently, the Thunder had taken Michael Clarke on board for the 2012-13 season.

Warner said he was happy to be representing the eastern suburbs. "I had a great time last year at the Sydney Thunder and thank the fans at ANZ Stadium [the Thunder's base] for their support, but I'm an eastern suburbs boy and I am really looking forward to playing at the SCG [the Sixers' base] for the Sixers," he told the franchise's website.

Apart from winning the BBL last summer, the Sixers cultivated a happy team environment under the coaching of Trevor Bayliss and the wider management of Stuart Clark. By contrast, the Thunder battled for strong results and faced difficulties surrounding their home base, with transport believed to be one of several issues for players.

As a current member of Australia Test team, Warner is unlikely to play more than one BBL game this year - the season-opening derby between the Sixers and the Thunder at the SCG on December 7 - but his presence would be considered crucial in terms of marketing the franchise and building its fan base.