ROSS Whiteley hopes his spell in the Bangladesh Premier League is “the start of something big” and may lead to being snapped up for other global T20 tournaments.

The Worcestershire all-rounder has flown out to link up with the Sylhet Sixers franchise for the seven-team T20 tournament which runs until December 20.

The big-hitting Whiteley knows a successful campaign could have a knock-on effect and spark interest from teams in other competitions this winter such as Australia's Big Bash.

Worcestershire director of cricket Steve Rhodes sees such experiences as important to a player’s development and of benefit to Rapids' own T20 Blast campaign.

Whiteley’s destructive hitting for Rapids, including six sixes in an over against Yorkshire, sealed his engagement with Sixers.

The 29-year-old said: “It’s my foot in the door. I’ve got a chance to really perform and put my name out there.

“You watch some of these T20 tournaments on TV and it is such a great spectacle. You’ve got thousands of fans coming and watching.

"I’ve been to a few of the Big Bash games while I’ve been in Australia. It is fantastic.

“If you can get your name out there and do something special it only takes one or two innings really to get people talking so it’s quite an exciting time ahead for me.

“Hopefully this is the start of something big for me.”

The Sixers squad also includes England all-rounder Liam Plunkett.

Whiteley continued: “I am never fazed by anything like this. I quite enjoy going to new places and seeing new things so that side of it is exciting.

“I can’t wait to spend some time in a place I’ve never been and learn about new conditions and from some of the fantastic players that are in the tournament as well.

“I know Liam quite well, probably first out in Adelaide a few years ago. He came over for a bit of training when I was on the Darren Lehmann Academy and we have kept in contact.”

Whiteley came to the fore at New Road in the T20 Blast with 62 sixes in the past three seasons.

He said: “When I was younger I just wanted to play whatever cricket I could, whether that was four-day or T20.

“As my career has gone on, it has probably led me more towards the white-ball stuff with my performances. It probably suits my game a bit better. But I still want to play red-ball cricket.”

Sixers launch their campaign against reigning champions Dhaka Dynamites on Saturday at the Sylhet International Cricket Stadium.

Kieron Pollard, Kumar Sangakkara, Shahid Afridi, Shane Watson and Mohammad Amir are all part of the Dynamites squad as well as Kent batsman Joe Denly.

They will be led by Bangladesh all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan who had two successful spells with Worcestershire.