Burns to replace Voges at Middlesex

Joe Burns has received a boost following his non-selection for Australia's winter Tests, with the right-hander signing a deal with English county side Middlesex.

The Queenslander will join the Lord's-based club in early May and replace countryman Adam Voges, who ironically was picked ahead of Burns for Australia's Test series against West Indies and England.

Burns will be at Middlesex until July 18, when he will fly to India for a series of matches for Australia A against India A.

"The chance to call Lord's home is going to be special," Burns said.

"The club has high ambitions for success in Division One, which was important for me.

"I am thrilled to get the opportunity to contribute to what is hopefully a very successful period for the club."

Burns was one of the most unlucky absentees from Australia's Test squad for their winter tours of the Caribbean and the UK, having made his Test debut against India last summer and posting twin half-centuries in the fourth Test in Sydney.

The versatile right-hander also had another solid season at domestic level, scoring 793 runs in the Bupa Sheffield Shield to finish sixth on the top run-scorer's list.

But Voges's record-breaking season for the Alcohol.Think Again Warriors left selectors with little option but to pick him as the sixth frontline batsman in the squad, alongside Michael Clarke, Steve Smith, David Warner, Chris Rogers and Shaun Marsh.

Burns admitted to being disappointed at being overlooked, but the impressive 25-year-old was philosophical about his omission.

Quick Single: Burns not disheartened by Test omission

"Sometimes tough calls are made and 50-50 calls can go against you but you can't get too down about it," Burns told Brisbane Times.

"You have to focus on what's important and the things that you need to continually keep doing to keep performing.

"I think I'm not going to get too caught up in getting down in the dumps about it."

Burns's deal with Middlesex means he will get valuable experience in English conditions, while he will also be exposed to Indian pitches for the first time on the 'A' tour in July. 

The 14-man A squad for the four-day matches against India A features nine players with international experience and National Selector Rod Marsh said the tour will provide invaluable exposure to sub-continental conditions.

Quick Single: Khawaja, Cummins headline A squad

"It's worked out quite nicely for Joe in a lot of ways," Marsh said last month, "in as much as he'll be going to India, where he's never played cricket.

"He'll have two four-day matches and five one-day matches in India and I reckon that will be very, very good for his overall development as a batsman."

Having lost their skipper Voges for most of the season, Middlesex are thrilled to have replaced him with a player of Test quality.

"We are delighted to be signing a hungry young Australian who will be desperate to show everyone what he is capable of doing," Middlesex CCC’s Managing Director of Cricket, Angus Fraser said of Burns.

"Joe is an exciting young batsman who has had an excellent winter and was unfortunate to miss out on Australia’s tours.

"Ironically, it is probably Adam Voges who took his place in the touring party.

"He has experience of batting anywhere in the top six, is a very good limited overs player and is an excellent fielder.  

"The schedules of other countries and the start of the Caribbean Premier League means that it is extremely difficult to get a player that is available for an entire summer and we are already planning a replacement for Joe when he leaves to play for Australia A in mid-July."

Burns will be available for seven first-class and 11 T20 matches for Middlesex before he departs for the Australia A tour.