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Captain Baz invaluable to Heat: Vettori

Sixes and 'Bash Brothers' aside, Influence of McCullum to young Brisbane guns is key to the franchise's success

Head coach Daniel Vettori says it is no coincidence Brisbane Heat enjoyed a vastly improved season under the captaincy of fellow Kiwi Brendon McCullum last summer, and is expecting more of the same from his squad in BBL|07.

McCullum piled on 323 runs to be the Heat's leading run-scorer in BBL|06, forming one half of the 'Bash Brothers' with fellow big-hitter Chris Lynn – a combination that lit up the tournament.

Bash Brothers open up on 'mutual love'

But more than his power hitting, Vettori insists it was the belief and confidence the Black Caps legend was able to instil in a relatively young squad that saw them climb from sixth to second in the space of a season, ultimately missing a place in the final by a semi-final Super Over defeat to the Sixers.

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"He gives us a really strong presence and is a really strong leader within the group," Vettori told cricket.com.au. "Obviously he's an amazing captain but I think the way he goes about the game, and the way he can inspire confidence in people, has been the thing the group has enjoyed the most.

"And probably some of them weren't aware that you could play in that (aggressive) manner, so to get that freedom to go out and play the way they wanted to has made a real difference to the unit."

McCullum is currently playing in the Bangladesh Premier League, having recovered from a fractured arm suffered in the Caribbean Premier League, and will reunite with the Heat ahead of their opening match against Melbourne Stars at the Gabba on December 20.

At this stage the club is undecided as to whether the explosive right-hander will take part in the Sunshine Coast Smash – the Heat's two warm-up fixtures against Melbourne Renegades in Maroochydore on December 15 and 16.

One man who is set to strut his stuff in at least one of those practice games is Lynn, who is back on deck following a shoulder reconstruction well ahead of initial forecasts and confident of taking his place against the Stars.

"I'm a bit sick of the rehab side of things," Lynn told cricket.com.au. "I'm still doing it, but it's good to have some progression, pick up a bat and get into my skill-based stuff rather than just being on the physio bench and working on the strength stuff.

"Now I'm about to finetune for the trial games up on the Sunny Coast and then our first game on the 20th. It's slightly rushed but it's all going well and there's some good signs there."

The art of hitting a six, with Chris Lynn

Vettori said the relationship between Lynn and McCullum – who have struck up a close friendship both on and off the field – was crucial to the success of the Heat, and had aligned nicely within the dynamics of the playing group as a whole.

"They're very similar," he said. "They play the game the right way, and life in the right way – they've got a real balance to it.

"Brendon's come to that from playing 100 Tests and being one of the best players in the world, and I think Lynny's aspired to not only his style of play but his career as well.

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"So there's a natural affinity between the two, and it fits in our team as well; we know their role, and the other guys know how to complement what they're doing.

"It's not just about them, but we know how important a factor they are in us doing well."

Stay tuned for a special feature story with Chris Lynn and his journey back from injury – coming soon

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