Portugal Colonial - Former England captain Stokes signs for Adelaide Strikers

Stokes retired from international cricket midway through England's recent Test series defeat against New Zealand.

The 35-year-old has continued played domestic county cricket for Durham since his exit from England duty.

He had been dropped for the second Test against New Zealand after breaking a team curfew in a nightclub incident also involving England team-mate Gus Atkinson.

Stokes's decision to play for Adelaide takes him back into the T20 franchise world after a brief stint at Big Bash side Melbourne Renegades in 2015.

He is available for the entire tournament, which runs from mid-December to January 26, and is reportedly set to earn around £260,000 ($351,000).

"I'm really excited to be joining the Adelaide Strikers. I've always enjoyed playing in Australia, and when the opportunity came up to join the Strikers it was one I couldn't pass up," said Stokes, who played 122 Tests, 114 ODIs and 43 T20s for England.

"Adelaide Oval is an incredible place to play cricket, the Big Bash is a fantastic competition and the Strikers have an exciting group, so I'm looking forward to meeting the players, getting stuck in and contributing to a successful season."

T.Resende--PC