The Brisbane Heat are set to bring back Aussie stars Usman Khawaja and Marnus Labuschagne for a crucial KFC Big Bash League showdown against the Hobart Hurricanes at the Gabba tomorrow.
This will be the first time this season that the international duo will take the field for the Heat, as they aim to secure two wins in their last games to make it to the Finals for the third consecutive year.
Khawaja will take the reins as captain, with Colin Munro sitting this one out to give his dislocated finger more time to heal after the match against the Adelaide Strikers last Saturday.
Munro is likely to be back in action for Saturday’s final regular season clash against the Melbourne Renegades at Marvel Stadium.
Jack Wood is also out of the lineup following the team's high-scoring defeat to the Strikers.
Paul Walter, the English allrounder, is returning to the squad after recovering from a minor shoulder issue that kept him sidelined for the last two matches.
Khawaja and Labuschagne will take the spots of Local Replacement Players Daniel Drew and Tom Straker in the Heat lineup for this game, having received the green light from the BBL Technical Committee.
Tickets for tomorrow night’s match are flying off the shelves, which also marks the Heat’s annual First Nations game.
The team will don their unique First Nations jersey for the last two matches of the season, with Saturday’s game against the Melbourne Renegades also honoring Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures.
The jersey design was created by Queensland artist ‘Aunty’ Delly McDonald and former Heat player Mikayla Hinkley.
The artwork features a central piece in Heat colors that illustrates the Brisbane Cricket Ground in Woolloongabba, known as the “place of whirling water.”
The centerpiece represents the Gabba, along with other waterholes that used to be nearby. There are 87 strokes symbolizing the first-class wickets taken by the legendary Aboriginal cricketer, Eddie Gilbert, who played 23 games for Queensland.
The back of the jersey features a circle that symbolizes the Gabba, with lines extending outward to show the paths the teams travel to and from the venue.
KFC Big Bash League
Brisbane Heat vs. Hobart Hurricanes
The Gabba, tomorrow at 6:30 PM QLD time.
1. Usman Khawaja (c)
27. Tom Alsop
19. Xavier Bartlett
17. Max Bryant
45. Spencer Johnson
30. Matt Kuhnemann
33. Marnus Labuschagne
20. Michael Neser
38. Nathan McSweeney
8. Will Prestwidge
77. Matthew Renshaw
4. Mitch Swepson
22. Paul Walter
