Samit Patel and Andrew Fekete added to struggling Melbourne Renegades squad

The pair will join the defending champions as they seek their first win of the season in Geelong on Tuesday

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Defending Big Bash champions Melbourne Renegades have announced two new signings for the remainder of their title defence.

Former England all-rounder Samit Patel comes into the squad for Tuesday's game against Perth Scorchers in Geelong to replace Nottinghamshire teammate Harry Gurney, who suffered a grade one hamstring strain last month.

Patel will be joined in the side by veteran Victoria seamer Andrew Fekete, who comes in to replace Mackenzie Harvey as the youngster heads out to South Africa with Australia's squad for the Under-19 World Cup later this month.

Fekete has previously made four appearances for the Renegades, with his most recent outing at the WACA in December 2014 before going onto further Big Bash spells with Brisbane Head and Sydney Thunder.

It will, however, be Patel's first taste of the Australian league, following a recent trip to the Abu Dhabi T10 league and helping the Outlaws to the T20 Blast Finals Day in September.

Both players have been named in a 13-man squad for the Renegades' next fixture against the Scorchers in Geelong, with sometime Australia Test opener Marcus Harris also joining the squad as they seek their first win of the campaign.

Tom Cooper, Jack Wildermuth and Joe Mennie are the three players who have been dropped as Aaron Finch's side have failed to register a single point through their first six group games.

Tuesday's game will be the Renegades' penultimate outing with Lancashire paceman Richard Gleeson in the XI, with Afghanistan all-rounder Mohammad Nabi scheduled to begin his third stint with the Docklands Stadium side with a trip to the Adelaide Strikers on Sunday.