Perth Scorchers sign David Payne for second half of Big Bash

Payne has been picked up after fellow left-armer Tymal Mills was ruled out of this year's competition

Perth Scorchers have signed David Payne after Tymal Mills was ruled out of this year's Big Bash for family reasons.

Payne, the Gloucestershire left-arm seamer, is set to be available for the second half of the tournament.

He made his England debut in June during the ODI series against the Netherlands.

"I feel incredibly excited and lucky," said Payne. "I've always followed the Scorchers, with the links we've had at Gloucester – Michael Klinger, AJ Tye and Cameron Bancroft. I've also recently played in the T10 league with Peter Hatzoglou, so there's a lot of friendly faces.

"I know how successful Perth are, so to be stepping into their dressing room is incredibly exciting and I can't wait to get out there. The short notice has made it even more exciting – it's the best Christmas present ever, to be honest.

^{Tymal Mills is out of this year's Big Bash due to family reasons (Surjeet Yadav/AFP via Getty Images)}

"I've never played in WA but watched a few games at Optus Stadium and it's a phenomenal ground. We see and hear that the pitches in Australia are a lot quicker than England, so I'm looking forward to that, and I'm really looking forward to the challenge in general."

Payne, 31, is six shy of 600 professional wickets, with 155 in T20 cricket. He has represented Welsh Fire in The Hundred.

"His record on the English domestic scene is exceptional," added Kade Harvey, Scorchers' general manager, "and he has a lot of attributes that suit short-format cricket – his ability to generate pace and bounce, his composure under pressure, and the variations he uses."

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