Melbourne Stars in negotiation with Usain Bolt to play in Big Bash

Melbourne - The Melbourne Stars franchise has confirmed it is in negotiations with the six-time Olympic gold medallist Usain Bolt to play in Australia's Twenty20 Big Bash League.

The Melbourne Stars are in talks with Bolt's management company and spin king Shane Warne, the team's marquee player, launching a campaign via social media on Sunday in an effort to build support for the recruiting coup.

Bolt, who repeated his treble of gold medals in Beijing with victory in the 100 metres, 200m and 4x100m relay at the London Olympics, played junior cricket before ruling the track and has long voiced his love for the game.

He famously clean bowled then West Indies captain and good friend Chris Gayle in a charity match in 2009, having earlier belted him down the ground for six, and the vision became popular on YouTube, Stuff.co.nz reports.

Bolt was first approached about joining the Stars before the Games by the franchise's president Eddie McGuire, who was interviewing him in his capacity as a broadcaster at the London OIympics with Foxtel.

Bolt said Warne had now spoken to him about playing in the BBL and he would consider whether to take up the offer.

"He (Shane Warne) contacted me and asked me about if I am serious and if I really want to do it then he can put in a few words that should get it done," Bolt told Channel Nine.

"So we will see if I get the time off. I will try. Twenty20, I love it. Just the fact that it is so exciting, it's about going hard the whole time, not just about playing shots. It's about being aggressive and I like that style of batsman.

"If I get the chance I will definitely try because I know it's going to be a lot of fun. I don't know how good I am. I will probably have to get a lot of practice in."