Melbourne Stars to strengthen their bowling lineup after a disappointing Big Bash League (BBL) campaign last season, the Melbourne Stars have secured the services of Western Australia left-arm pacer, Joel Paris. Paris, who has previously represented the Perth Scorchers and Hobart Hurricanes, brings a wealth of experience and success at the Sheffield Shield level, having played a crucial role in back-to-back Shield triumphs for WA.
His impressive performances earned him a spot in the Australia A team for four-day cricket. Joel has excelled in red-ball cricket, he has been a fringe player in the T20 format, featuring in just 37 BBL games over a span of ten seasons. The left-armer’s career has been carefully managed, often being utilized as a reserve bowler for Jason Behrendorff during his time with the Scorchers. Despite a move to the Hurricanes in 2021 to play more T20 cricket, Paris’ opportunities remained limited, featuring in only 12 matches across two seasons. The Stars, who previously drafted overseas left-arm pacers Trent Boult and Luke Wood, sought to address their need for left-arm swing bowlers. With uncertainties surrounding the return of the aforementioned players, and the potential need for a quality spinner, the team decided to add Paris to their squad. This move comes in the aftermath of the departure of Adam Zampa and the signing of Australia Test quick, Scott Boland. Expressing his delight over the signing, Stars general manager Blair Crouch praised Paris’ experience and success in the game, anticipating his positive impact on the team’s performance.
Apart from his cricketing abilities, Joel shares a strong camaraderie with some of the Stars players, having been a long-time teammate of Marcus Stoinis, Hilton Cartwright, and Nathan Coulter-Nile at Western Australia.