All posts by n8rngtd.top

Allrounder will begin 16th season in 2020 after signing contract extension

ESPNcricinfo staff21-Nov-2019Steven Croft, Lancashire’s long-serving allrounder, has signed a new two-year contract that will keep him at the club until the eve of his 37th birthday.Croft’s extension was secured after a productive 2019 season in which he was the second-highest run-scorer in the Royal London One-Day Cup, with 516 runs at 73.71, and helped Lancashire secure promotion back to Specsavers County Championship Division One.In 2011, he had the honour of hitting the winning runs in Lancashire’s County Championship win and he also led the side to a maiden T20 title as captain back in 2015.He was awarded a testimonial in 2018, and was a fixture in the 2019 Vitality Blast, equalling his career-best in scoring 94 against Worcestershire Rapids at New Road.Croft will begin his 16th season at Lancashire in 2020, having made his first-class debut as a 20-year-old against Oxford University in 2005. He joined the club’s Academy in 2003 and was among the first players to graduate through to professional cricket.In all, he has amassed 168 first-class, 145 List A and 168 T20 appearances for Lancashire, and is their all-time leading appearance-maker in T20 cricket since debuting in 2006.He is also a Level 4 coach, and will continue to work with the Lancashire Academy and age-group sides in a coaching role.”I am over the moon to have signed another contract with Lancashire,” said Croft. “It is an incredibly special place for me and I can’t wait for the new season to come round, my 16th as a professional.”It means everything to represent the Red Rose. I still get a huge sense of pride whenever I play and I know I have plenty left to give on the field. The desire to perform for this Club remains as strong as ever.”At this stage of my career, whilst I feel like I’ve still got a lot to offer as a player, to have the chance to further my coaching experience by working with the Club’s Academy and age-group sides, is something that is very important to me.”Lancashire Director of Cricket, Paul Allott, said: “We are thrilled to have Steven on board for another two years. His performances last season more than merited another contract and he was a central part of our squad in all formats. He is an extremely versatile player and responded well last year when called upon in different roles within the team.””There is no one more passionate about the Red Rose, and his extensive experience will help to guide the younger lads in the changing room as well as working with our Academy and age-group players, as he continues to gain further coaching experience.”

Fast bowler hopes to prove fitness in good time for first Test at Perth in November

Vithushan Ehantharajah27-Aug-2025England fast bowler Mark Wood is set to make his competitive return to action for Durham in the County Championship next month as he steps up his rehabilitation from knee surgery ahead of this winter’s Ashes.Wood has been out of action for the last six months following an operation to his left knee to repair medial ligament damage that was exacerbated during the Champions Trophy. Though a success, the initial recovery time of four months proved to be optimistic, with Wood missing the entirety of England’s Test series against India, having initially earmarked the fifth Test at the Kia Oval for a return. The 35-year-old had been with the squad during that series but suffered a minor setback while training at Lord’s ahead of the third Test, which required fluid to be drained from his left knee, delaying his return. He was then pencilled in to feature in England’s white-ball fixtures in September, against South Africa and Ireland, but was subsequently left out of those squads.Related

• Woakes ruled out of Oval Test and is doubt for Ashes after shoulder injury

• Wood targeting fifth India Test for potential comeback

• Mark Wood ruled out for four months after knee surgery

Durham are currently battling relegation, sitting ninth in Division One after promotion last season. Their destiny remains in their hands with the last three rounds against other teams fighting the drop, against Essex (September 8), Worcestershire (September 15) who are adrift at the bottom, and Yorkshire (September 24).Wood’s availability is an undoubted boost for the county, but his participation in their run-in will be limited. It is unlikely he will turn out for the Essex fixture but is on course to face Worcestershire at Chester-le-Street. Any appearance against Yorkshire will depend on how his left knee holds up after what will be his first red-ball match since the first Test against Sri Lanka last August. His previous appearance for Durham came in the County Championship back in May 2021.”I’m hoping to play for Durham as there are a couple of games in September – so I’ll try and play one or two of those,” Wood told the Stick to Cricket podcast.Wood and Ben Stokes discuss tactics•Ben Radford/AllSport UK Ltd

“The injury is alright. It was fifty-fifty whether I was going to make the India Test but I was bowling at Lord’s and then, the next day, my knee swelled up again so I had it drained and since then it’s just been about taking things easy looking ahead to the winter.”England are keen not to push Wood too hard. Despite his long injury history, he remains one of the fastest bowlers in the world. He was the best visiting bowler on show for the previous 2021-22 Ashes campaign, taking 17 wickets at 26.64. In the 2023 home summer, he dropped in for the last three Tests against Australia and bagged 14 dismissals at 20.21. England were 2-0 down upon his arrival and went on to square the series.It was Wood who has pushed for game time before the season ends, a plea he made to England head coach Brendon McCullum, having grown weary of the monotony of bowling in nets.”I’ve been well looked after and very cautious, that’s the way that it’s been. I value it as they’ve (the ECB) got this end-game where they want me to get to Australia.”But I said to Baz McCullum, I can’t just bowl to a net for four months, I’ll go insane. There’s a bowling camp in Loughborough in a tent – getting acclimatised there ready for Perth – then I’ll go over to Perth early with a couple of bowlers. We’ll arrive about a week early to prepare and get acclimatised.”Wood’s mooted return is a boost to England’s pace bowling stocks ahead of the Ashes, which are as close to full capacity as they have been this summer.Jofra Archer’s reappearance in Test cricket against India ended a three-year absence, which has subsequently been built upon for Southern Brave in The Hundred. Olly Stone, who was sidelined after his own knee surgery, turned out twice for London Spirit. Josh Tongue has been the standout bowler of the competition, with 14 dismissals.Brydon Carse was rested for this season’s edition, while Gus Atkinson made a single appearance for Oval Invincibles before playing for Surrey in the One Day Cup on Tuesday. The emergence of Sonny Baker also adds an extra quick to the Ashes mix.Chris Woakes remains a doubt with the dislocated left shoulder he sustained in the fifth India Test. The allrounder has opted against surgery for a regimented rehabilitation programme which gives him the best chance of making the tour, which begins at Perth’s Optus Stadium on November 21.

It is understood that each team will have four reviews per innings but only limited tools will be available

Varun Shetty26-Feb-2020The Ranji Trophy will feature the Decision Review System (DRS), although in a “limited” capacity, for the first time in the upcoming semi-finals and finals rounds of the tournament, which begins from Saturday. It is understood that each team will have four reviews per innings, and the tools that will be used are a virtual pitch map for lbw decisions and slow-motion cameras. This limited DRS system will not feature tools like HawkEye, Snickometer, or UltraEdge.Only a handful of matches are televised during a long domestic first-class season, and the lack of broadcast facilities in several venues makes it near impossible to implement technology for all teams. BCCI’s GM for cricket operations, Saba Karim, told that the board wanted to offer uniformity for all teams and that was only possible starting from this stage of the tournament. The final will also have the same limited system.”We wanted to bring in uniformity so we can offer the same to all the teams, and that we could accomplish only for the semi-finals.”For the finals also we’ll have the limited DRS. But we’re not introducing any new technology for this. There’s no HawkEye, no Snicko, nothing of that sort. So whatever is available to us, we will implement that. Basically we’re trying to facilitate the umpires to try and come up with better decisions,” Karim said.The umpiring standards in Indian domestic cricket have often come under scrutiny, and reached a particularly high crescendo last year when the semi-final between Karnataka and Saurashtra was televised and featured several contentious decisions. People from both teams had welcomed the use of technology after that game, as many have before them. Karim said the BCCI’s decision to bring in technology came from an intent to provide tools in a high-profile match, but did not come about specifically based on that game.”Such high-profile matches, we want to offer as much tools as possible to the umpires so that they can come up with correct decisions. We are at times influenced by whatever has conspired in the past, but to say that we have brought in only because of that would not be appropriate,” he said.Both teams from that fixture feature in the semi-finals this year, although they will not play each other. Bengal host Karnataka in Kolkata and Saurashtra will be hosting Gujarat. In a press release earlier this week, Saurashtra Cricket Association president Jaydev Shah said he welcomed the implementation of technology for one of the “most important tournament for seniors” and that high profile games like semi-finals and finals, at least, should feature assistive technology.

Spending 179 and 159.2 overs on the field has led to them getting to a “breaking point”

Mohammad Isam01-May-2021The Bangladesh team reached a physical and mental “breaking point” on the third afternoon of the second Test in Pallekele, according to coach Russell Domingo. He was referring to the 179 and 159.2 overs they have been in the field over the two Tests against Sri Lanka with three rest days thrown in. Domingo however said that there were some soft dismissals as the visitors were bowled out for 251 – losing 7 for 37 – and ending the day behind by 259 runs.”The guys have spent so much time on the field in the last 4-5 days (over the two Tests),” Domingo said. “They are probably a little bit mentally fatigued after being in the field for 338 overs. It wears you down physically and mentally as a cricketer. It could be one of the reasons. Obviously, there were one or two soft dismissals.”All teams reach a breaking point. Our breaking point came this afternoon when we were batting. It has been a tough day for us. We have to try to be positive. There’s still a lot of cricket to be played. We have to make sure the guys are in a good frame of mind when we bowl tomorrow (Sunday).”Domingo also expects the less-experienced players in the line-up to make bigger contributions. And as part of that process, he wants to identify young players and back them. In return, he expects them to repay the faith to lessen the burden on the likes of Tamim Iqbal and Mushfiqur Rahim.”It is a batting unit that we need to support and identify roles for, and make sure get better,” he said. “There are six or seven batters who all need to contribute, and build partnerships. While Tamim has played really well, the focus shouldn’t be just on one particular player. We have some younger players who need to step up and put in big performances. We have to give them opportunities so that they can get to the levels of Tamim and Mushfiq in time to come.”The coach was also of the opinion that Iqbal should continue to bat aggressively upfront. The senior batter has scored four fifties in a row now, having shredded a slightly-conservative template.”In our particular line-up at the moment, we have four or five players who haven’t played ten Tests yet,” he observed. “There’s a lot of inexperience, so we need to encourage someone like Tamim to play positively, and take pressure off the younger players. Some of the younger players are not at east to express themselves, and play with that sort of intent.”Domingo also pointed towards Bangladesh’s previous Test series for inspiration, underlining how West Indies scaled their 395-run target in the fourth innings to win the Chattogram Test by three wickets.”We were part of an unbelievable Test match a few months ago, when West Indies chased down 387,” he said. “We know that we are way behind the game at the moment. We are under a lot of pressure. Sri Lanka are dominating at the moment. But if we can pick up early wickets, cause a little bit of jitters in the change room, you never know. Somebody comes out and plays a great innings. So we have to remain positive going into day four.”Did Bangladesh pick the best XI? Domingo certainly thinks so, despite the bowlers toiling away. “It is easy to say after three days of cricket that we picked the wrong team,” he said. “I don’t think we have (picked the wrong team). We have a balanced bowling attack, who we think can take 20 wickets. When we bowled on day one, there wasn’t much spin on offer. Obviously the wicket started to spin now, towards the end of day three. It was tricky for the batsmen.”

Inglis, Ackermann seal eight-wicket win in nine-over chase

ECB Reporters' Network02-Jul-2021Leicestershire Foxes inflicted a damaging defeat on Durham’s bid to qualify for the Vitality Blast quarter-finals by beating the home side by eight wickets via the Duckworth-Lewis-Stern method at Emirates Riverside.Josh Inglis and Colin Ackermann were on point for the visitors in a revised chase of 88 from nine overs, powering their way over the line with four balls to spare.Durham posted 115 for 4 from 15.1 overs before rain interrupted their innings. Graham Clark and Sean Dickson scored vital runs to allow the hosts to post a competitive total. However, their bowlers struggled to contain the Foxes to slip to their second defeat on the bounce, leaving their last-eight hopes in the balance.After inserting the home side, Callum Parkinson made immediate inroads to dismiss David Bedingham, who chipped straight to Ackermann. Ben Stokes’ struggles to find his form continued as he looped an attempted pull to Parkinson at leg-slip to hand Naveen-ul-Haq his first wicket before two Foxes men combined again as Cameron Bancroft fell attempting a scoop shot.Clark found his rhythm with boundaries from the off-spin of Scott Steel and Ackermann. The opener made his way to 40 before he Rishi Patel produced a fine low grab at cover, allowing Gavin Griffiths to claim his 50th T20 wicket. Dickson and Ned Eckersley rallied the home side’s innings, putting on a stand of 45 before the rain brought a premature end to the Durham innings in the 16th over.Play resumed after a stoppage of over an hour, with the Foxes chasing a revised target of 88 from nine overs. Inglis got the Leicestershire innings off to a strong start, scoring two boundaries off the first two balls of Harry Crawshaw’s opening over. However, Steel was run out against his former club for only two to set the visitors back in their chase. Stokes then removed Arron Lilley with a neat catch on the return to put the pressure on the Foxes.Inglis and Ackermann responded in turn with a brilliant counterattack, whittling down the required rate with superb striking to the fence. Matthew Potts and Ben Raine failed to contain the Foxes, leaving the visitors needing only 15 from the final two overs. Ackermann eased his team over the line four balls to spare scoring back-to-back boundaries off the first two balls of the final over, securing their fourth win of the competition.

The middle-order batsmen have fluffed their lines a few times but lack of opportunities is to blame for it to a large extent, says Bairstow

Varun Shetty in Hyderabad20-Apr-2019Sunrisers Hyderabad’s under-performing middle-order batsmen have found support in head coach Tom Moody and opening batsman Jonny Bairstow, who both feel that the unflattering numbers must not be taken at face value given how little exposure the batsmen have got this season as a result of the rollicking opening stands.The opening pair of David Warner and Bairstow have put up six 50-plus stands this season in eight innings, and on four of those occasions, they have batted either close to the halfway mark or well beyond it. Of the 907 balls Sunrisers have faced this season, 60.41% have been faced by Warner (310) and Bairstow (238). Vijay Shankar, who began the tournament at No. 3 and has gone at No. 4 whenever Kane Williamson has played, is the nearest to either of the openers in terms of time in the middle: 113 balls, less than half Bairstow’s tally.And while Sunrisers have traditionally been top-heavy, these numbers have meant that 72.87% of the deliveries have been faced by just three of their batsmen. And while the upside is that these batsmen have done well, making nearly 80% of their runs, those next in line, like Manish Pandey and Deepak Hooda at 58 balls each, have had below-average returns.”The middle-order question does confuse me,” Moody said on Saturday. “Because, on one hand, there’s enormous compliments being passed about the Warner-Bairstow combination. And quite rightly so. They’ve been terrific up front. [But] when you have that dominance up front, your middle order gets left in the dark. They get very little opportunities.”When you’re 2 for 30, 3 for 40, your middle order are getting exposed and they’re getting plenty of balls to have an influence on the game. Our middle order hasn’t had as much exposure purely because of the number of balls our top order has consumed. So, yes there’s been a couple of moments in the games we’ve played to date, where the middle order had their chance to shine and they failed. But it’s not a consistent thing. I think you need to look what influence our top order is having and the number of balls they’re facing, compared to a lot of other teams. It’s slightly different, the way we’ve gone about it, purely because of the dominance of Warner and Bairstow.”Jonny Bairstow and David Warner get together•BCCI

Bairstow, who batted with much of that middle order in their win against Chennai Super Kings on Wednesday, sympathised on similar lines.”I think a lot of people have been a bit harsh on the middle order. We’ve got some fantastic players in that middle order. Davey and I have done a fairly good job, so when they’ve been coming in, they’ve been coming in [practically] down the order, so they don’t have too much time in the middle to gain any momentum with it,” he said. “You look at that middle order and you’ve got some fantastic players in it. You’ve got one of the guys that’s been selected in the Indian World Cup team [Vijay Shankar], you’ve got Kane Williamson, who is one of the best players in the world, Yusuf Pathan whose record speaks for itself. So there’s not too many more people you’d want in that middle order to be honest. There’s a reason why they’ve done so well over the last couple of years and (the team has) got to finals and playoffs.”Regardless of this context, Sunrisers will be wary as they begin the second half of the season trying to punch their way up on the table. Bairstow leaves the side for World Cup duties on April 24, which could likely mean Williamson jumps back up as first-choice opener. Williamson himself has not had an exciting season so far, and while he’s had most of his success for the franchise as an opener, they’ll be far from putting all their bets on his taking over exactly where Bairstow leaves off in an outlandishly perfect opening partnership.Martin Guptill also waits on the sidelines, but a move up for Williamson will likely open up spots for experienced middle-order players in Mohammad Nabi and Shakib Al Hasan.”Obviously we’ve been aware for a long time that certain players are going to be leaving at certain points,” Moody said. “But we’ve got confidence in the depth of our squad, that we can fill those vacancies. The balance of our side might look slightly different but we’re comfortable with that as well. At the moment, we’re batting with three world-class batters at the top of the order. When Jonny goes, we may have a slightly different look to our side, which doesn’t mean that we are a weaker side, it just means that we’re a slightly differently balanced side and that we’re approaching the game differently.”

The two spinners took six wickets between them to fashion Afghanistan’s first T20I series win over Bangladesh

The Report by Mohammad Isam05-Jun-2018
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
Raton Gomes/BCB

After teaming up with Rashid Khan to limit Bangladesh to 134 for 8, Mohammad Nabi smashed an unbeaten 31 off 15 balls to guide Afghanistan to their first T20I series win over a Test side other than Zimbabwe. Seventeen-year-old mystery spinner Mujeeb Ur Rahman also contributed to the win with 15 dots in a four-over spell.Rashid, Nabi and Mujeeb claimed combined figures of 6 for 46 in 12 overs to run through Bangladesh’s batting line-up. Rashid did the bulk of the damage, taking 4 for 12, including the vital wickets of Shakib Al Hasan, Tamim Iqbal and Mosaddek Hossain in one over, the 16th of the innings. Nabi, meanwhile, dismissed Sabbir Rahman and Mushfiqur Rahim.Bangladesh, though, had a positive start, moving to 81 for 3 in 10 overs, with opener Tamim Iqbal and Mahmudullah setting up for a late burst. However, two overs later, Karim Janat removed Mahmudullah to set Bangladesh up for a collapse.Rashid first had Shakib holing out to long-on before getting Tamim and Mosaddek off successive deliveries. In his next over, Rashid had Soumya Sarkar holing out to cap an outstanding spell. Abu Hider then launched some late blows with Nazmul Islam in a 26-run partnership for the ninth wicket off 13 balls to boost the total. Bangladesh’s highest stand was 45 between Tamim and Mushfiq but the pair could not find a tempo high enough to hurt Afghanistan.Afghanistan also started slowly in their chase and lost Mohammad Shahzad inside the Powerplay, but Samiullah Shenwari repaired the innings with 49 off 41 balls and took his side to within 20 runs of a series victory. With Afghanistan needing 20 off the last two overs, Nabi clobbered four boundaries in five balls off fast bowler Rubel Hossain to seal it in style.Bangladesh might rue not holding onto their chances. When Shahzad was scoreless in the first over, wicketkeeper Mushfiqur dropped a thick edge to reprieve him. The opener went onto hit four fours and a six in his 18-ball 24 to set the tone for the chase. Following Shahzad’s dismissal, Afghanistan went 30 balls without a boundary before Shenwari disdainfully pulled Rubel to the midwicket fence in the 11th over. He then hammered three sixes off spinners Mahmudullah and Mosaddek.Mosaddek bowled Shenwari in the 18th over to give Bangladesh hope but Nabi dashed it with a breathtaking late assault that ticked off another landmark for Afghanistan.

Fortune Barishal batter Munim Shahriar earns maiden call-up; Najmul Hossain Shanto, Nurul Hasan left out

Mohammad Isam21-Feb-2022Shakib Al Hasan is back in Bangladesh’s T20I squad after having skipped the three-match series at home against Pakistan in November last year. Mushfiqur Rahim and Litton Das, who were both dropped for the Pakistan T20Is, also returned to the squad for the upcoming two-match series against Afghanistan.Munim Shahriar, who was among the breakout stars of BPL 2022, was also included in the squad.The comebacks of Mushfiqur and Litton were always on the cards, given their experience. Mumnim’s presence, meanwhile, brings freshness to the group. The 23-year-old showed the willingness to take risks in the powerplay and gave Fortune Barishal good starts in at least four of his six appearances this BPL.Saif Hassan, Najmul Hossain Shanto, Nurul Hasan, Shamim Hossain, Aminul Islam and  Akbar Ali were left out of the squad.Minhajul Abedin, the chief selector, said that Shamim and Nurul could still be part of Bangladesh’s plans.”We need a bit of stability in our T20 side,” Minhajul Abedin said. “Shamim and (Nurul Hasan) Sohan aren’t out of the system. We will keep an eye on them. We have picked Munim Shahriar after following him for a year since he was included in the High Performance squad.”Legspinner Aminul was also dropped, which isn’t a big surprise given the Bangladesh selectors and management’s reluctance towards that variety of spin. Akbar too lost his place, mainly because of the return of Mushfiqur and Litton.The selectors, however, retained Mohammad Naim, hoping he finds form despite a poor BPL campaign.The T20I series will begin on March 3 in Dhaka, three days after the end of the ODI series in Chattogram. Dhaka will also host the second – and final – T20I on March 5.Bangladesh T20I squad: Mahmudullah (capt.), Litton Das, Munim Shahriar, Shakib Al Hasan, Mushfiqur Rahim, Afif Hossain, Mahedi Hasan, Yasir Ali, Mustafizur Rahman, Taskin Ahmed, Shoriful Islam, Nasum Ahmed, Shohidul Islam, Mohammad NaimIn: Litton Das, Munim Shahriar, Shakib Al Hasan, Mushfiqur RahimOut: Saif Hassan, Najmul Hossain Shanto, Nurul Hasan, Shamim Hossain, Aminul Islam, Akbar Ali

Hampshire’s former Kolpak star signs as overseas player after making quite an impression at Taunton in 2017

Matt Roller06-May-2022Somerset hope that the addition of Rilee Rossouw to their core of talented young batters will take them one step further in the T20 Blast this season after losing to Kent in the 2021 final.Rossouw spent three seasons at Hampshire as a Kolpak player from 2017-19 and blitzed 156 off 113 balls against Somerset at Taunton in the Royal London Cup early on in his time with them. “I remember how the members and supporters reacted to that even though I was playing for the opposition,” he said in Somerset’s press release announcing his signing. “That is something that I’ve never forgotten.”Rossouw left Hampshire after the Kolpak loophole ended with the UK’s departure from the European Union and has spent the last two-and-a-half years on the T20 circuit. After a couple of quiet tournaments, he averaged 39.28 at a strike rate of 167.68 in the PSL this season, taking Multan Sultans to the final and providing a reminder of his abilities.Related

• Kieron Pollard in the running for T20 Blast stint following international retirement

• Chris Lynn finalises Northamptonshire deal for T20 Blast

• Jofra Archer targets T20 Blast comeback after injury nightmare

He will add further firepower to a batting lineup featuring Tom Banton, Will Smeed, Tom Abell and Tom Lammonby, and will be available for the entire competition before joining up with Oval Invincibles for the Hundred later in the summer.Andy Hurry, their director of cricket, said: “Having looked at the strengths and the quality that we currently have within the T20 squad, as well as considering the global, domestic and international cricket concurrently being played during the Blast, including England Test and ODI England fixtures, we felt that adding additional explosive firepower to the batting unit would dovetail perfectly with the very strong group of players within the squad and also enhance our ability to go one step further this season.”Rossouw is Somerset’s fourth overseas signing of the season and it remains to be seen which seamer he joins in their side for the Blast. Matt Renshaw is only contracted for the County Championship and the Royal London Cup and will be in Sri Lanka on Australia A’s tour during June, but Peter Siddle and Marchant de Lange are both under contract for the Blast and will effectively be competing for one spot in the side.

Brisbane-based Queensland captain said the pull of home was too strong after leaving Sydney Thunder

ESPNcricinfo staff29-Jun-2022Australia Test opener Usman Khawaja has signed a four-year deal with Brisbane Heat and will captain his new club in the upcoming season when available after departing Sydney Thunder for family reasons.Khawaja lives in Brisbane with his family and is Queensland’s Sheffield Shield and Marsh Cup captain but had remained with Thunder in the BBL up until now. The length of the contract means he will stay with Heat until he is at least 39.Khawaja’s move to Heat had long been touted after he announced he was departing Thunder in February. Khawaja noted at the time it was “the toughest call” he had made as a cricketer having been a foundation member of Sydney Thunder since the BBL started in 2011-12. He was a key figure in Thunder’s lone title in 2015-16 scoring 104 not out in the semi-final against Adelaide Strikers and 70 off 40 in the winning final against Melbourne Stars. He also captained Thunder last season.Related

• Starc to continue to skip BBL despite being available

• Usman Khawaja warns BBL must privatise to thrive

• BBL hopes to get ahead of new rival leagues with early overseas draft

• The BBL overseas draft is here: how will it work?

“I always thought I would finish off as a Thunder player, but it is funny how things change,” Khawaja said. “I’ve said it for a long time, that Brisbane is home, Queensland is home, and to be here, captain of Queensland, and now joining the Heat – it is really exciting.”I know I will be playing in front of my family, and a home crowd, when I am at the Gabba or Metricon Stadium with the Heat. I love the Thunder and the Thunder Nation, but at the same time, this is a change that comes at the right time.”It wasn’t an easy decision, it was a very tough one, but the timing just feels right. I like to say I used to be an honorary Queensland and now I am one.”I have been loosely tied with the Heat through my Queensland roles for several years, and so I am looking forward to the challenge of trying something new by joining them now. I do love playing in the BBL and now I am with the Heat for the coming years, I am very excited.”Khawaja’s move to Heat fills the void left by Chris Lynn after the clubelected not to re-sign the BBL’s all-time leading runscorer following 11 seasons at the club.Khawaja will be Heat’s captain when he is available but he is set to miss the first part of the upcoming BBL season while on Test duty for Australia. He is set to be available following the completion of the Sydney Test against South Africa on January 8 with the BBL season likely to run until the end of that month. Jimmy Peirson, who captained Heat last season, will lead Heat when Khawaja is unavailable.Khawaja is passionate about the BBL and was vocal about the future direction of the competition stating that Cricket Australia needs to consider private investment in the near term.