Sydney Sixers call Englishman Joe Denly into their squad for final four Big Bash games

AS long as you don’t bring up his T20, you and new Sydney Sixers import Joe Denly should get on just fine.

Joe Denley is the latest Englishman to sign with the Sydney Sixers. Pictured during a photo shoot at Coogee Oval. Picture: Jonathan Ng

JOE Denly, the latest Englishman set to join the struggling Sydney Sixers, laughs and says “the less we talk about my T20 international career the better’’.

Denly will pull on the magenta for the final four Big Bash games once countrymen Sam Billings and Jason Roy join the England one-day squad after the Sixers’ clash against the Hurricanes on Monday.

The 31-year-old Denly is no stranger to Australia having played Sydney grade cricket for several years, and once bravely took on a pumped-up Brett Lee when facing his first ball in a T20 international for England.

“I remember that debut, Brett Lee was running in, I had a good idea it would be up around my earholes, and I was a little naive trying to take him on first ball,’’ Denly told The Saturday Telegraph.

Denley will give the Sixers some much needed experience.

“It was at Old Trafford, one of the quicker decks in England, it hit the splice and went straight to square leg for Nathan Hauritz to take the catch.

“I also remember my first game of grade cricket out here was against him (Lee) as well.

“I hopped off the plane on a Friday and played against Mosman on the Saturday. That was an experience. He broke my finger that game. He got me out lbw, but the next weekend I was able to play and get a hundred.’’

Denly is coming off one of his best English domestic seasons to date, including four first-class centuries for Kent, and a couple of big tons in the NatWest T20 Blast.

SMASH: Bash Brothers doing the job

IT’S TIME: Can Renegades take over Melbourne?

The right-handed batsman finished with a tournament-high 567 runs at an impressive strike rate of 150.79.

He tonked 127 runs from 66 balls against Essex in a world-record opening partnership of 207 runs with Daniel Bell-Drummond.

The Sixers have lost all five games, so Denly’s services with the bat will be a huge plus. His signing is expected to be announced as early as today.

Denly’s first game to be next weekend’s derby against the Sydney Thunder, who will embrace their own Pommy late arrival, Test No. 3 James Vince.

Denley is coming off the best domestic season of his career.

“It was a good year for myself in all three forms, I was leading run-scorer back home in the T20, so the confidence is high at the minute,’’ Denly said.

“I’m enjoying my cricket. I had a good start to that competition, there was a good hundred at The Oval — that’s a good batting deck, to be fair — and a hundred against Essex. That gave me the momentum.

“(Sixers boss) Dom (Remond) sent me a message a few months ago asking about my availability, and I told him I was available and would love to come over. I’m delighted to be here.’’

Denly will return for a pre-season training camp with Kent in Antigua, but is hoping he will be a late pick-up for the Pakistan Super League, and knows an immediate impression in the BBL will only help his cause.