Usman Khawaja and Marnus Labuschagne remain with the Brisbane Heat ahead of the India Test
Usman Khawaja and Marnus Labuschagne have opted to stay with the Brisbane Heat a few days before flying to India for test duty and will look to take the club one step closer to the Big Bash League title in Melbourne on Sunday night.
Faced with a relentless schedule that also includes a commitment to appear at the Australian Cricket Awards in Sydney on Monday night, Khawaja and Labuschagne will maintain some much-needed star power at the end of the tournament.
Usman Khawaja changes on his way to 94 of 55 balls against the Thunder.Credit:Getty Images
Australia head coach Andrew McDonald did not require Khawaja and Labuschagne to line up for a mini-camp in Sydney over the next three days – only that they oversee their preparation and not play when injured.
The Heat will lose the services of wrist spinner Mitch Swepson when they take on the Renegades as he, Ashton Agar, Todd Murphy and a select group of other India tourists have to train in Sydney over the next two days.
David Warner’s comeback stint with the Thunder ended with their elimination by a combination of the heat and Sydney’s moody weather, and he ended his stint by noting how little time many players have at home now before trying to make one for the first time Winning Test series in India times since 2004.
“It was challenging – I’m pretty tired and exhausted,” Warner said. “I’ll also be home for five days at the Australian Cricket Awards. A couple of guys have gone to the UAE league that don’t go to the CA Awards – from my point of view it would be nice to have another night at home but it is what it is.”
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Warner admitted his stint at Thunder – the subject of lengthy discussions between his management, the club and CA amid the broadcast negotiations – hadn’t gone as hoped and decided to be fresher for the task next time.
“For me it’s about coming back and putting some energy into the Thunder team and trying to do my best for the team and also playing my part for Australian cricket to come back and hopefully bring some entertainment out there. ” he said.
https://www.smh.com.au/sport/cricket/club-then-country-khawaja-labuschagne-maintain-heat-on-unrelenting-schedule-20230128-p5cg5g.html?ref=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_source=rss_sport Usman Khawaja and Marnus Labuschagne remain with the Brisbane Heat ahead of the India Test
