Veteran Brad Hogg in high demand to play Twenty20 cricket

India Gazette (ANI) Thursday 9th February, 2012

The Twenty20 explosion has made veteran left-arm spinner Brad Hogg Australia's most sought after cricketer.

Four years after retiring from international cricket, the eccentric wrist spinner, who turned 41 on Monday, will spend just one week at home over the next three to four months, as he will playing in front of packet stadiums across four countries.

After starring in the expanded and re-hyped Big Bash for runners-up the Scorchers, Hogg jetted out of Perth yesterday on his way to play in Bangladesh's new Twenty20 competition.

A last-minute signing for the Cape Cobras in South Africa's T20 tournament, Hogg will fly straight to Cape Town before returning home at the end of March.

His first game in the IPL for the Rajasthan Royals is on April 6 and should they make the finals he will be in India until the end of May, the Daily Telegraph reports.

This will be followed by the Twenty20 World Cup in Sri Lanka in September, the Champions League in India in October, where Hogg will represent the Scorchers.

It is a staggering itinerary for someone who retired four years ago after seven Tests and 143 one-day internationals. Hogg was plucked from Perth grade cricket as the 18th and last signing by the Scorchers on a minimum 20,000 dollar contract.

He finished with 13 wickets in the Big Bash, just two shy of competition leader and Pakistani import Rana Naved.

Hogg's worth has since gone up with his exposure. The minimum contract in the Big Bash became 50,000 USD in the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) and 180,000 USD) in the IPL. (ANI)