Shoaib Malik signs with Hobart Hurricanes

Shoaib Malik, the Pakistan batsman, has been signed by Hobart Hurricanes for the upcoming season of the Big Bash League. It will be Malik's first stint in the Australian T20 league, in which Shahid Afridi has featured in the past seasons.

"He's an exciting player, a fast paced batsman who will likely bat in our middle order and he'll add another option to our bowling stocks as well," Damian Wright, the Hurricanes coach, said. "He is a quality player with a quality T20 record and his performances in the Caribbean Premier League suggest he's in red-hot form right now."

Representing the Barbados Tridents, Malik was the leading run-scorer in the inaugural edition of the Caribbean Premier League with 272 runs from eight matches. Overall, Malik has played 134 T20 matches and scored 3396 runs at a strike rate of 123.31. He has also picked up 75 wickets with his offspin.

"Those are impressive stats for someone who has played so many games in a format where you often have to place little value on your wicket in search of quick runs at the end of an innings," Wright said.

Hobart Hurricanes, led by George Bailley, also include Dmitri Mascarenhas and Owais Shah as their overseas players for the season.