Lehmann extends Heat tenure after external review

Darren Lehmann will return next summer as head coach of the Brisbane Heat after the club extended his stay for a further season.

Lehmann's tenure had been uncertain when Queensland Cricket commissioned an external review in the Brisbane Heat, but the former Australia head coach – who guided the Heat to the title in BBL|02 – had been keen to continue on.

Lehmann has been granted to chance to continue on his work that saw the Heat shrug off a slow start to finish third last summer in BBL|10, winning two elimination finals along the way.

"We gained a lot from this season, as individuals, but also as a group," Lehmann said today in a statement put out by the Heat.

"There were plenty of challenges to endure but the players bonded together really well and took some big strides forward.

"As a coach, the way the younger players worked with the senior lads was really encouraging and the confidence they demonstrated, the deeper we went into the tournament, was significant.

"Winning the two knock-out finals demonstrates that we are very capable of playing consistent, exciting cricket.

"We know there is still much to do, and there are improvements we will make heading into the coming season. But there are exciting days ahead."

Queensland Cricket CEO Terry Svenson said Lehmann had been involved in building the Heat squad for BBL|11 and beyond, while changes would be made following the external review of the club commissioned in the wake of last season.

"We have had a good opportunity to digest the review and its recommendations and have begun putting things in place for the future," Svenson said in a statement.

"Since we finished the most recent tournament, we have been putting together the Heat squad for BBL|11 and beyond with Darren's direction and it is gratifying to know we are going to be able to take that forward under his coaching.

"We're pleased he has accepted this contract extension and look forward to further developing a strong framework around the BBL team for the coming season to give them every chance of success."

The Heat's wide-ranging review – described as a "health check" – covered areas such as recruitment and retention, player, coaching and support staff performance, and team and club culture across both the BBL and WBBL teams.

The Heat culture was put under the spotlight by former player Ben Cutting after his move to the Sydney Thunder last summer.

Cutting was one of six local players to leave the Heat at the end of BBL|09 ending his nine-season stint with the club that dated back to BBL|01.

"You just need to look at the guys who walked away from the Heat. There were five or six of us," Cutting said ahead of his first match against the Heat last December. "So there was definitely something in the water."

Svenson pointed to the success of both Heat teams, who each finished third in their league.

"Across the year, the WBBL and BBL teams were within a game of the grand final and as an organisation, we are committed to building squads and team cultures that will see us enjoy sustained success into the future," Svenson said.

"Both the WBBL and BBL remain our most important vehicles to get girls and boys playing cricket and we know we are in the strong positions to continue growing both leagues."

The Heat re-signed promising young quick Xavier Bartlett to a new two-year deal before the BBL's contracting embargo came into force.

Bartlett was used primarily as a one-over new-ball bowler before being subbed out under the 'X-Factor' rule introduced last season, and has since gone on to play a key role in the Queensland Bulls' Marsh Sheffield Shield winning team.

Brisbane Heat BBL|11 squad (so far): Tom Banton (ENG), Xavier Bartlett, Tom Cooper, Sam Heazlett, Chris Lynn (c), Jimmy Peirson, Mark Steketee, Mitchell Swepson, Matthew Willans.