Big Bash League: WA off-spinner Corey Rocchiccioli signs on with Sydney Sixers

Corey Rocchiccioli has signed on with what will be his fourth Big Bash League club, with the star WA off-spinner joining Sydney Sixers.

The West Australian understands Rocchiccioli, who was signed by Perth Scorchers as a replacement player last summer but was not called upon to play a game, has agreed to a deal with the Sixers.

He shapes as a replacement for his fellow off-spinner and rival to be Nathan Lyon’s Test understudy Todd Murphy, who has left the Sixers to join Melbourne Stars.

Rocchiccioli’s BBL debut came with Melbourne Renegades in the 2022/23 season before he made a cross-town move to the Stars the following year, splitting five games between the two clubs.

The Scorchers signed him as a replacement player last summer but then overlooked him in favour of untried leg-spinner Luke Holt, who was brought in using the same mechanism and played three games as the club went on to claim their sixth title.

For the first part in a decade, the Scorchers will have two frontline spinners in their 18-player squad in their upcoming campaign, with The West Australian revealing last month they had signed England leg-spinner Calvin Harrison as a potential partner to stalwart Ashton Agar.

Rocchiccioli has established himself as the leading spinner on the domestic red-ball circuit, with no slow bowler having prized more Sheffield Shield wickets since his debut in the competition in 2021.

While now a fixture in WA’s red-ball side, his limited-overs opportunities have been more infrequent, with the 28-year-old having only three One-Day Cup appearances to his credit.

Rocchiccioli is currently playing on an Australia A tour of India, backing up four wickets in the first two-day game with one more in the 51 overs his side bowled before stumps on the second day yesterday.