Leg Buys cricket column: Josh Philippe linked with move to New South Wales, Tasmania switch

One of Australia’s best wicketkeepers has been linked with a shock cross-country switch as he looks to reignite his international career. Find out more in our exclusive column, Leg Buys.

The Big Bash League’s embargo period remains in place, meaning clubs are barred from officially signing or re-signing players indefinitely.

That hasn’t stopped talks from happening in the background and already some moves are becoming clearer.

Middle-order specialist Alex Ross is out of contract at the Sydney Thunder and league sources indicate that he is likely to return to the Adelaide Strikers, with whom he started his BBL career almost a decade ago.

Ross, 31, also had a stint with South Australia but last played for the Redbacks in 2019. These days he is very much a T20 gun for hire. He scored a half-century this week for Dhaka in the Bangladesh Premier League.

Josh Brown has been heavily linked to the Renegades. Picture: Chris Hyde/Getty Images

Hamish McKenzie has been chased by the Stars and Sixers. Picture: Robert Cianflone/Getty Images

Elsewhere, Perth Scorchers spinner Hamish McKenzie could be on the move and there is interest from the Melbourne Stars and Sydney Sixers.

The Melbourne Renegades are in the box seat to land Brisbane Heat finals hero Josh Brown, while Renegades captain Nic Maddinson, who was dropped mid-season, faces an uncertain future after not receiving a new contract offer before the embargo deadline.

Cricket Victoria is looking to bolster off-field resources for both Melbourne clubs after neither qualified for the finals in the BBL or Women’s Big Bash League.

Josh Philippe could be on the way out of Western Australia. Picture: Paul Kane/Getty Images

FLIPPING SIDES?

There is still plenty to play out before the end of the domestic season but two names keep bobbing up around the traps.

The future of fringe Australian white-ball gloveman Josh Philippe is once again a topic within Aussie domestic circles.

Philippe has been unable to lock away a spot as Western Australia’s No. 1 wicketkeeper and is again being linked to other states, including NSW and Tasmania.

Should Philippe leave, it could prompt something of a merry-go-round of domestic keepers.

Once billed as the next big thing, NSW and Thunder batter Jason Sangha is another player worth keeping an eye on after stagnating in recent times. He lost his spot in both state and BBL cricket.

The Tigers are having an excellent Sheffield Shield season but there are still whispers of them being on the hunt for extra batting depth from the mainland.

South Australia, another state that has historically looked to bring in players from interstate, is also tipped to be active.

Rachin Ravindra is set to join Washington Freedom.

WORLD CUP STAR TO JOIN FORCES WITH AUSSIES

He will be a trans-Tasman foe later this month but New Zealand’s breakout star Rachin Ravindra is set to join forces with several of Australia’s biggest names in July.

The prodigious batting all-rounder, who made three centuries during last year’s World Cup, including a ton against the Aussies in Dharamsala, is another of the key targets for the Ricky Ponting-coached Washington Freedom for the second edition of the US-based Major League Cricket competition.

Ravindra, 24, who cracked 240 for the Black Caps against South Africa in the first Test last week, is poised to join Australian guns Travis Head and Steve Smith at the MLC club.

With the player signing window opening later this week, other Aussies including Glenn Maxwell could also feature in the league after Adam Zampa, Marcus Stoinis, Aaron Finch and Matthew Wade all played in the competition last season.

This year’s version is particularly attractive for players given it follows the Twenty20 World Cup being held in the Caribbean and US.

But Australia’s top pacemen are likely to be denied clearances from Cricket Australia owing to workload concerns.

Nathan Ellis is being linked by industry sources to the Queensland Cricket-aligned Seattle Orcas but his involvement will likely hinge on whether he makes the cut for the World Cup. The death-bowling expert is well in the mix for Australia’s 15-man squad.

Ravindra, purchased by the Chennai Super Kings at last year’s Indian Premier League auction for $322,200, is of Indian origin.

* Leg Buys is Code Sports’ regular column that looks at player and staff movement in cricket, particularly through an Australian prism.