Victoria sign Bravo for Twenty20

Victoria have confirmed the signing of Dwayne Bravo for the domestic Twenty20 competition next summer as the states line up to secure international players with help from Cricket Australia. Bravo will join the Bushrangers for the Big Bash tournament, which falls between West Indies' Test and one-day commitments in Australia.

The addition of Bravo to a Victorian squad that has won three of the past four Twenty20 tournaments signals a shifting away from the state's traditional policy of not importing international players. The Bushrangers can also bring in a second overseas signing but they have not yet decided whether to take that option.

"He's on the way up, only 25 years of age and we're particularly looking forward to him being with our squad and our young players throughout the Big Bash competition this year," Tony Dodemaide, the Cricket Victoria chief executive said. "It is a bit of a departure from our traditional policy over the years but we see Dwayne's signing particularly as being exciting for us for all the qualities he brings."

The Victorians believed Bravo would be the ideal replacement for fellow allrounder Andrew McDonald, who they hope will be involved in Australia's Test series against Pakistan when the Big Bash is on. Bravo's Twenty20 record is strong; he was West Indies' second leading run scorer and top wicket taker at the ICC World Twenty20 and performed well in this year's IPL.

"We're expecting Andrew to be involved for Australia, so it's a strategic cover, if you like, that Bravo, an allrounder, replaces an allrounder in McDonald," the coach Greg Shipperd said. "We think strategically it's a wise move as far as our interests being successful again in that competition goes.

"We certainly know it can work. You put any world-class player into any team … it's going to improve their side. That is what's going to happen this year for us. We're certainly contemplating another option but we're mindful of finding the right balance between developing our own players and also of being as competitive as we can."

Bravo will join Victoria on a normal state contract, which means that technically he would be available for selection in the FR Cup and Sheffield Shield competitions. However, Dodemaide and Shipperd said they had no intention of using him in anything but the Twenty20 tournament.

New South Wales have expressed their interest in signing Shahid Afridi, who was one of the heroes for Pakistan in the World Twenty20 triumph, while the other states are also considering potential imports. Last year Western Australia brought in Pakistan's Umar Gul for the Twenty20 tournament, while South Australia signed his fellow countryman Sohail Tanvir.