Melbourne Stars sign Pat Brown for second half of Big Bash

The 21-year-old will represent Stars during the second part of the tournament, with South African great Dale Steyn already pencilled in for the first half of the competition

Pat Brown will play in the upcoming edition of the Big Bash after signing for Melbourne Stars.

The 21-year-old will represent the outfit coached by David Hussey during the second part of the tournament, with South African great Dale Steyn already pencilled in for the first half of the competition.

Brown, who has garnered a reputation in the last two years as a death-bowling specialist thanks to his Vitality Blast exploits with Worcestershire, will join Nepalese leg-spinner Sandeep Lamichhane who has already re-signed with last season’s runners-up for the duration of Big Bash’s ninth edition.

The English seamer, who is currently with Eoin Morgan’s side for the five-match T20I series against New Zealand, will join fellow Tom Banton – another newcomer to the international setup – in agreeing a Big Bash deal.

Banton will play half of the competition for Brisbane Heat, sharing overseas duties with AB de Villiers, who will feature for Darren Lehmann’s side in the other half of the competition.

As well as Lamichhane, Brown joins Nathan Coulter-Nile in a new-look Stars seam attack, following the Australia international’s arrival from Perth Scorchers.

^{Pat Brown played a key role as Worcestershire won the 2018 T20 Blast}

Brown initially shot to prominence in 2018, playing a fundamental role in Worcestershire’s remarkable run to the T20 Blast title.

He took 31 wickets in 16 games, at an economy of 7.64 – a fine effort, given that much of his work came at the latter end of an innings.

Over the course of the past two years there have been few better in the final third of a T20 Blast innings. He has taken 30 wickets at an average of 11.94, with an economy of a shade over 8.

Brown’s chance might have come sooner but for a back injury that scuppered any plans for last winter; he had been due to play in the Bangladesh Premier League.

Even if this year’s T20 Blast proved less fruitful – he took 17 wickets this time around, he still remained a key figure in Worcestershire’s run to the final. Even on Finals Day, only Ravi Bopara – then of Essex – managed to get on top of the youngster.

His penultimate over of the semi-final against Nottinghamshire was an exhibition in death bowling, dragging his side back into a game they appeared to be out of.

Brown is set to make his England debut in the first match of the series at Christchurch.

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