Broad bats for Heat

The Brisbane Heat has added opening batsman Ryan Broad to its playing roster for the inaugural T20 season in the KFC Big Bash League this summer.

Heat coach Darren Lehmann said Broad was a “left-field” selection, with the right-handed opening batsman better known for his first class prowess with the XXXX GOLD Queensland Bulls.

Lehmann said the 29-year-old right-hander had been signed on his potential, despite not playing T20 for Queensland before.

“We’ve gone on what we think he can do,’’ he said.

“He can hit the ball to all parts, he’s just got to have the confidence to do it and we’ll give him that.

“It might seem a bit left-field but he fits a role for us. We’re really impressed with him.”

Broad, who played for Australia ‘A’ in 2009, is no stranger to T20 though.

He produced eye-catching knocks of 92 from 54 balls and 50 from 21 balls for a Queensland XI in a series of off-season matches against a Kolkata Knight Riders T20 development squad in 2008.

Broad was also player of the match in the Brisbane First GradeT20 Final in 2009, when he smashed 135 off just 51 balls for Wynnum-Manly.

That effort saw him added to the Bulls squad for the KFC Twenty20 Preliminary Final at the Gabba against Victoria although he did not play in the starting line-up in a nail-biting loss to the Bushrangers.