Bopara, who is currently at the Pakistan Super League where he is coach of Karachi Kings, will focus on commentary during the English season instead of playing.

“I did think hard about the Blast,” he told ESPNCricinfo., external

“That was a really, really tough one to think about. But I’m excited for new things. I’ve had a good opportunity with commentary, which I think I’d be silly to turn down.”

At international level, Bopara played 13 Tests for England, scoring three centuries with a best of 143 against West Indies, while he featured in the victorious Ashes series in 2009.

He played 120 One-Day internationals, including three World Cups, and 38 T20s between 2007 and 2015, while in first-class cricket, he amassed 12,821 and ended with a career average of 40.44.

The middle-order batter and occasional medium pacer has been a regular on the global franchise circuit, including the Indian Premier League and Australia’s Big Bash, while his most recent cricket was before Christmas for Chitwan Rhinos in the Nepal Premier League.