Injuries hit as rebalanced Heat look to rebound: BBL|15 preview

Injury and unavailability have again hit Brisbane Heat hard to start their Big Bash campaign, but the BBL|13 champions remain optimistic of returning to the top after rebalancing their squad during the off-season.

With Spencer Johnson and Callum Vidler out for the season with back injuries, the pace duo have been joined on the sidelines in recent days by Matt Kuhnemann (side strain) and English wicketkeeper-batter Tom Alsop (knee soreness).

Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne and Michael Neser are also with the Test squad and unavailable for the start of KFC BBL|15.

Nathan McSweeney will take over the stand-in captaincy from Colin Munro while Khawaja is on international duties, while spinner Paddy Dooley returns to the Heat as a replacement player alongside West Australian left-armer Liam Haskett.

"That's four of our main bowlers out of the first game, so we could have an interesting attack," Heat coach Johan Botha said.

BBL|15 club previews

 Heat | Renegades | Scorchers | Sixers

"Our depth is going to be tested. That's the cards we've been dealt and now we've got to work through it and play a little differently – we've got to find a way to hopefully win games with different guys.

"We're going to have to go to young guys, which creates opportunities. Yes, we could also be exposed a bit and guys with no BBL experience could be playing."

But one man that will be playing – who will also make his Big Bash debut – is No.1 draft pick and Pakistan superstar Shaheen Shah Afridi, whose addition helps ease the loss of fellow left-arm quick Johnson.

The Heat entered last season – Botha's first at the helm – as reigning champions and their defence started swimmingly with wins in their first two games.

But injuries caught up with them then too, with Munro, Johnson, Neser and Alsop all missing multiple games throughout BBL|14. They lost six of their next seven games and were the first team eliminated from finals contention.

Botha said they also didn't bat well enough last season, with the Heat indeed finishing with the second fewest runs (1,448) of the campaign, ahead of only Melbourne Renegades (1,396) – their opponents in their opening match of BBL|15 in Geelong on Monday night.

Mitch Swepson, the Heat's second leading bowler of all-time with 72 wickets, departed the club during the off-season and will play for Melbourne Stars in BBL|15, but Botha believes the move could work in their favour.

"Last season the two spinners (Swepson and Kuhnemann) did not work at all," the coach said.

"At the Gabba there's always a short side; it's hard to fit in the eight overs from the spinners.

"We should have changed that earlier than we did. I think our attack should be more balanced this season – now we just need to see who's in that attack."

Last season

Result: Seventh

 

Most runs: Matthew Renshaw (280)

 

Most wickets: Spencer Johnson (13)

BBL|15 squad

Shaheen Shah Afridi, Tom Alsop, Xavier Bartlett, Max Bryant, Lachlan Hearne, Spencer Johnson, Usman Khawaja, Matt Kuhnemann, Marnus Labuschagne, Nathan McSweeney, Colin Munro, Michael Neser, Oli Patterson, Jimmy Peirson, Matthew Renshaw, Callum Vidler, Hugh Weibgen, Jack Wildermuth. Replacement players: Paddy Dooley, Liam Haskett

 

Ins: Lachlan Hearne (Sixers), Hugh Weibgen (Thunder), Oli Patterson, Paddy Dooley, Liam Haskett

 

Outs: Mitch Swepson (Stars), Tom Whitney (Stars), Tom Straker (Strikers), Daniel Drew, Will Prestwidge (Hurricanes), Jack Wood

 

Internationals: Shaheen Shah Afridi (Pakistan), Tom Alsop (England), Colin Munro (New Zealand)

 

Head coach: Johan Botha

Season schedule

Possible best XIs

Full strength: Colin Munro, Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Matthew Renshaw, Tom Alsop (wk), Max Bryant, Jack Wildermuth, Michael Neser, Xavier Bartlett, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Matt Kuhnemann

 

For the first game: Colin Munro, Jack Wildermuth, Nathan McSweeney (c), Matthew Renshaw, Max Bryant, Jimmy Peirson (wk), Hugh Weibgen, Xavier Bartlett, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Paddy Dooley, Liam Haskett

Player availability

Fast bowlers Spencer Johnson and young gun Callum Vidler have been ruled out for the entire season with back stress fractures, while spinner Matt Kuhnemann (side strain) and English wicketkeeper-batter Tom Alsop (knee soreness) will miss the start of BBL|15.

Botha said the club anticipated both Kuhnemann and Alsop would be available later in the tournament. "We're being a little cautious with Matty and Tom," he said. "It is great to have an experienced player like Paddy (Dooley) to call into our group. He knows a lot of the boys and has played for the club previously."

Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne and Michael Neser are also with the Test squad and potentially unavailable until after the Ashes.

"Our thoughts initially was for Shaheen and Spencer to be fit, and then (left-arm quick) Oli Patterson just to learn this season," Botha said. "But Oli might have to learn on the go this season because he could easily be playing Big Bash as a 19-year-old.

"We're so many bowlers down and 'Ness' (Neser) being with the Test squad, we're going to have to rely on our squad to hopefully win us some games."

Overseas recruits

Shaheen Shah Afridi (Pakistan): The star left-armer is up there with AB de Villiers, Andrew Flintoff and Brendon McCullum as the Heat's biggest ever imports after they snapped him up with the first pick of June's BBL draft.

Afridi is prolific in the T20 format with 334 wickets in 239 games and will no doubt relish the fast and bouncy conditions at the Gabba. He's also a crucial addition for Brisbane this season following the loss of fellow left-armer Spencer Johnson for the season with a back injury.

Colin Munro (New Zealand): It was a tough season (46 runs at 7.66) for the Heat's direct signing in BBL|14 and he returns this summer determined to make amends in his fourth year with the club. The Kiwi left-hander is among one of the most experienced players on the circuit and has amassed more than 11,000 runs across his T20 career.

He enters BBL|15 after hitting 416 runs, including a top score of 120, in Trinbago Knight Riders Caribbean Premier League triumph in September, carrying on that rich form in last month's Abu Dhabi T10 tournament. "He's a very experienced player," Botha said. "He had a good CPL … and then he played well in the T10, so I think he's arriving in a better space this year."

Tom Alsop (England): The English wicketkeeper-batter will miss the start of the Heat's BBL campaign for the second season in a row after reporting knee soreness during their intra-squad practice match last week. Alsop managed just four games last season due to quad injury but returns for another stint in teal after being drafted with pick 25.

"He's another left-hander in the middle order – we've got Renshaw and Munro at the top, so it's a nice split across the order to have three lefties out of six," Botha said. "He plays spin really well and in the second half of the innings with the Power Surge, teams go back to their quicks and then spinners bowl later now in Big Bash cricket."

Inside word with Heat coach Johan Botha

Rebounding after tough title defence

After winning their second men's title in BBL|13, the Heat slumped to seventh last season with just three wins – two of which came in their opening two games.

"This season the group will be wanting to prove that we are still one of the the top four teams in the Big Bash," Botha said. "From there, anything is possible if you get to the playoffs.

"We obviously need to play better. We weren't very good with the bat last season. There were two guys that played really well (Matthew Renshaw – 280 runs and Max Bryant – 259 runs), but in general we weren't nearly as good as the other teams with the bat, especially in the first 10 overs. So that's hopefully something we can get better at and be in the game after those first 10 overs."

Rebalancing the attack

With Botha's admission their two-pronged spin attack didn't work last season, followed by Mitchell Swepson's departure to the Stars, look for the Heat to try and get more overs out of their top six batters in BBL|15.

"Three batters who can bowl a bit of spin – Hugh Weibgen, Nathan McSweeney and Matt Renshaw – so we're going to have to do things a bit differently," he said. "They all bat in the top six and they can still help you with an over or two – it just gives us a bit more balance.

"Then we could pick a young bowler at number 10 or 11 … and he bowls four overs if it's his night, and if it's not, he just bowls one or two. I think that's where you want to be in T20 cricket with a lot of options.

"Last season we didn't have options. It was the five bowlers. If someone got taken down on the night, they just had to bite the bullet and keep coming back. Whereas this season, we should have seven bowling options and guys can bowl one or two overs and not give the opposition a read on us."

Jack Wildermuth to open?

It's a possibility if his Queensland T20 Max form is anything to go by. Wildermuth hit two centuries – 159 not out from 70 balls and 129 off 55 – opening the batting for club side Valley, as well as 84no off 38. In seven T20 Max games this summer, the allrounder slammed 472 runs before starting the domestic season with scores of 54 and 74 in the One-Day Cup.

"We're looking at it as an option," Botha said of Wildermuth opening the batting. "That's where we want to be flexible; some nights he might do it, other nights he could be handier in the second half of the game.

"We're still playing around with that, and it depends on who we get back. If 'Uzzy' (Khawaja) comes back to us, that might change things again. We've got Nathan McSweeney and Colin Munro as well, so we've got top order options."

Player to watch

"From a batting point of view, Hugh Weibgen and Lachlan Hearne, those two are not in our starting XI probably just yet because our batters are fit and ready to go," Botha said. "If either of those two get a chance, they could surprise as the tournament goes on.

"We'll have to wait and see when they get their opportunity, but both have played really well for Queensland Bulls. And in T20 it's not always about big scores – it could be a 19 off 11, a great catch or one over with the ball that you can help out. It's not always the biggest performances but it's impacting the game, and those two can certainly do that."

Who will the Heat play in the Final?

"We'll take a final 100 per cent; I'm not too sure who against because there's some good teams in this tournament," Botha said. "People might write us off a bit with all these injuries but you just need two players to have an outstanding tournament, and guys jump on the back of them and you get a bit of momentum going."