Reigning champions Sydney Sixers secure all 11 players from last summer’s BBL Final

The Sydney Sixers have retained all 11 players from last season’s unforgettable victory over the Perth Scorchers in the BBL final.

The Sydney Sixers have finalised their squad for the 2021/22 season, retaining all 11 players from last season’s triumphant victory over the Perth Scorchers in the Big Bash League final.

On Wednesday, it was announced that veteran paceman Jackson Bird had signed a two-year deal with the men in magenta, who he has represented since 2019.

The Sixers are coming off back-to-back BBL triumphs, lifting the trophy in 2020 and 2021 – and the Sydney-based franchise is looking to secure the coveted three-peat this summer.

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International superstars James Vince, Carlos Brathwaite and Tom Curran have all committed to the Sixers for another season, while the squad is also packed with plenty of local talent, including Nathan Lyon, Josh Philippe and Moises Henriques.

Some BBL franchises are yet to confirm even half of their squad for the upcoming summer, but the signing of Bird completes the Sydney club‘s 18-player roster three months out from the competition.

“People talk about clubs being families, and the Sixers has a real family environment,” Bird told news.com.au. “It was something that I was really eager to be a part of again.

“We’ve got a good core group of players, but the biggest thing in our squad are the players that aren’t playing are all capable of coming in and doing their job right from the get-go. That’s something we really pride ourselves in.”

Jackson Bird claimed two wickets in last summer’s BBL final. Photo by Mark Kolbe – CA/Cricket Australia via Getty Images

Bird was a standout performer in last season’s BBL final, removing Scorchers openers Cameron Bancroft and Liam Livingstone and finishing with stellar figures of 2/14 off three overs.

Cricket Australia is yet to confirm whether the controversial X-Factor and Bash Boost rule changes will be implemented this season, but Bird had nothing but praise for the Power Surge, which allowed the batting side to decide when to enforce a two-over fielding restriction.

“That was a great addition to the BBL,” he said.

“It made it a bit more challenging bowling in the Powerplay. I felt the guys went a lot harder in that first four overs.

“The Power Surge could either make or break an innings, so that brought an extra element of strategy … if you have a good Surge towards the end of an innings, you can really chase down big totals.”

Bird has played 72 T20 matches since making his 20-over debut back in 2012, claiming 61 wickets at 30.01.

His last international appearance came in the 2017 Boxing Day Test against England.

The Sixers are scheduled to get their BBL campaign underway on Sunday, December 5 when they face the Melbourne Stars at the SCG.

Sydney Sixers squad

Sean Abbott, Jackson Bird, Carlos Brathwaite, Dan Christian, Tom Curran, Ben Dwarshuis, Jack Edwards, Mickey Edwards, Moises Henriques (c), Daniel Hughes, Hayden Kerr, Nathan Lyon, Ben Manenti, Steve O‘Keefe, Josh Philippe, Lloyd Pope, Jordan Silk, James Vince