Wes Agar was traded to the Sydney Thunder as the Adelaide Strikers moved up in draft position

Wes Agar was traded to the Sydney Thunder as the Adelaide Strikers moved up in draft position

This is the first step former NSW and Australian Test player Trent Copeland is taking in his new role as general manager of the Thunder.

Wes Agar became the first player in the BBL to be traded in an overseas draft. Agar joins the Sydney Thunder after leaving the Adelaide Strikers, who moved up in the second round of the draft.

Agar moves to the Thunder after eight spells with the Strikers. He appeared in just four games last season, having previously been an integral part of their offense. The Thunder and Strikers swapped their second-round picks in the trade.

The Forwards will receive the Thunder's early second-round pick - the exact pick number will be determined in the draft lottery later this year - while the Thunder will receive the Strikers' late pick. The Thunder will get an earlier draft pick as they finished eighth last season, while the Strikers will get a later pick after going third overall.

It's the first step former New South Wales and Australia Test player Trent Copeland is taking in his new role as general manager of the Thunder.

"He's a proven performer in this format and one of the friendliest guys in the Big Bash," Copeland said. "We want to bring in players who will eventually perform and win at the club, but it's also extremely important for us to bring in good people who want to be part of what we're building here."

Meanwhile, Strikers interim general manager Sean Williams was sympathetic to Agar's decision to request a move.

"We fully understand Weiss' aspirations for a new opportunity with the Sydney Thunder and wish him all the best in his endeavours," he said. Before we were able to improve the position of a part of our draft.

Agar (27) was the Strikers' best player in 2020/2021. season and took 22 wickets at 20.77. He also scored 18 goals in 13 matches in 2022/2023. year. But he could only play four games last year as Henry Thornton emerged as the preferred pace bowling option even as Strikers opted to field two leg-spinners.

Although he has played just four matches and taken just two wickets at an economy rate of 10.38, Agar is very important in the Australian squad. In February, the West Indies were called up to play in the final T20I against Australia. He moves to Sydney hoping for a fresh start as the Thunder look to revamp their offense after a season where they struggled to hit the ball.