Ben Stokes will head to Australia for Big Bash cash with Adelaide Strikers

The former England all-rounder Ben Stokes has joined Australian side Adelaide Strikers ⁠for the 2026-27 season that begins in December, the Big Bash League ⁠team announced on ⁠Tuesday.Stokes, ​who retired from international cricket in June, is poised to become one of the ⁠most expensive players in Australia’s premier Twenty20 competition, with 7News reporting the 35-year-old will earn ⁠A$500,000 (£264,000).“I’m really excited to be joining the Adelaide Strikers ​for BBL|16,” Stokes said ‌in a statement.“Adelaide ‌Oval is an incredible place to play cricket, the Big ‌Bash is a fantastic competition and the Strikers have an exciting group, so I’m looking forward to meeting the players, getting stuck in and contributing to a successful season.”Once Australia’s Ashes nemesis, Stokes ‌will be playing for a team coached by the former Australia captain Tim Paine.“Ben is ​one of the greatest all-rounders the game has seen, a proven match-winner and a competitor who thrives under pressure,” Paine said.“We’re thrilled to have a player of his ⁠ability join our squad and can’t wait to see ​him put ​on a show in ​BBL|16.”The Strikers have not won the BBL ​title since ‌the 2017-18 season, ​their ​sole triumph in a competition that has been dominated by the six-times winners Perth Scorchers, the reigning champions.