Hurricanes target Broad for BBL stint

Hobart Hurricanes have confirmed they are in discussions with England quick Stuart Broad about signing him for the upcoming KFC Big Bash League season.

A mainstay of England's Test side, Broad has been out of favour in limited-overs internationals and earlier this year flagged the prospect of a stint abroad to push his case for a recall ahead of the Champions Trophy in the UK next year.

Quick Single: Updated squads for BBL|06

The Hurricanes will welcome back Sri Lankan legend Kumar Sangakkara for BBL|06 but with West Indian Darren Sammy uncontracted, they have room for one more overseas player on their roster.

"Stuart Broad is one of a number of international players that we are currently in talks with," said general manager Michael Roberts.

"The usual process with contracting internationals is to talk to a number of players and wait and see what their availability is with their national commitments during the Big Bash League period.

"Once it is clearer on a player’s availability, we can then progress talks from there."

Broad's availability for BBL|06 will depend on whether or not he can earn a recall for the white-ball segment of England's three-month tour of India over the 2016-17 summer.

With the fifth Test of that series scheduled to conclude on December 20, three days before Hobart's BBL opener against the Sixers in Sydney, Broad could potentially be available for the entire tournament should he be overlooked for the ODI and T20 series' that follow.

And Broad's role in England's future plans for limited-overs cricket will become clearer on Tuesday when they name their squad for their upcoming one-day series against Pakistan.

Broad has played just two ODIs since the 2015 World Cup and his most recent T20 international came two-and-a-half years ago, but he is willing to look to domestic leagues abroad in order to reignite his limited-overs career.

"I’m going to look at scheduling, whether it’s home or abroad, to try to play some white-ball cricket and there might be a decent opportunity after Christmas this year because there’s not a lot of Test cricket then until, I think, July," Broad said after he was overlooked for the ODI series against Sri Lanka in June.

"The only way I’ll get back is by playing white-ball cricket and that’s the only way my skills will improve, too.

"If I suddenly have a belting six weeks of 50-over cricket people might say, 'Actually this bloke can bowl with the white ball. He has got a hundred-odd ODIs behind him and he could still be in the frame.'"

Hobart's discussions with Broad come after they publically declared their interest in the West Indian allrounder Carlos Brathwaite earlier this year.

Brathwaite, who has also been linked to the Sixers and spoke with Perth Scorchers coach Justin Langer earlier this year, has attracted significant interest following his memorable performance in the World T20 final in April.

Quick Single: Brathwaite mulls BBL interest

But the West Indies Cricket Board’s current policy, which prevents players who don't make themselves available for domestic competitions – including the Super50 tournament in January each year - from being eligible for international selection, might rule Brathwaite out of contention for a BBL contract.

"Home drum beats first so I'm just making sure everything is OK at home before I shoot abroad and make myself available," the 28-year-old said in June.