Kallis, 38, recently retired from Test cricket with a batting average of 55.37 and 32.65 with the ball. He was identified by the Thunder, who finished with the wooden spoon in each of the three Big Bash League seasons, as the calibre of player needed to help propel the team among the competition's heavyweights.

"We've been talking to his management, but I know a few teams are," Cummins said on Tuesday.

Cummins said it was impossible to do anything more than talk to Kallis's manager until the middle of May because Cricket Australia had an embargo on Big Bash League teams signing players until a yet-to-be-confirmed date in May.

"We can't formalise agreements with anyone until then," Cummins said. "We hope to put together an inducement that would get him across the line because he'd be a great addition for us.

"He wants to play Big Bash and the great thing about Jacques is he is two players – he's a batsman and a bowler – and that is invaluable in any team.

"I also think what we saw last season was the value of the older players in terms of their match awareness and composure. So, yes, we would love to have him and hopefully we can make that happen."

Regardless of whether the Thunder recruit Kallis – or any of the other marquee players they have sounded out – Cummins reiterated former Australia batsman Michael Hussey would retain the captaincy of the lime-greeners.

"Mike is the captain for next year, that's not something we'd consider," he said.

Meanwhile, the Thunder are still negotiating where they will play their home games next summer. ANZ Stadium will be unavailable due to it hosting matches for football's Asian Cup – one of the sport's biggest tournaments outside of the World Cup.

The SCG, Sydney Showground, the home of AFL's Greater Western Sydney Giants and Canberra's Manuka Oval, which last week hosted the Sheffield Shield final between NSW and Western Australia, were under consideration.