'Hurt' Cutting lights the fuse for BBL grudge match

Ben Cutting has lit the fuse for a fiery grudge match with the Brisbane Heat on Monday night, upset at management he claims were behind a mass exodus out of the KFC BBL club this year.

Cutting was one of six local players to leave the Heat at the end of last season with a year still left on his contract, ending his nine-season stint with the club that dated back to BBL|01.

The allrounder was quickly snapped up by the Sydney Thunder, but ahead of his first clash with Brisbane on Monday, he admitted his pain at leaving.

"I'm at peace with it now, but it certainly hurt at the time," Cutting said.

"I was given a (extra) year a couple of weeks before the Big Bash started last season so I had another year to run this season.

Image Id: 0759E176E2494AF198B4C1997CDE1677 Image Caption: Cutting and Matt Renshaw were among six Heat players who moved clubs // Getty

"So walking into my meeting for this season and being told a few things I didn't think were true – and it's turned out that they haven't been – it's disappointing.

"There was a lot of memories there, playing in front of your home crowd, all your mates, Christmas time at home as well.

"It was difficult, particularly the way it all happened."

Cutting earlier this year said he'd not been given the chance to open the batting at Brisbane, claiming it had been promised to him last season.

But he revealed after the Thunder's first-up loss to Melbourne Stars that it wasn't alone in his list of grievances following his exit from his home-town franchise.

"There were plenty of other things, I don't need to say too much," Cutting said.

"You just need to look at the guys who walked away from the Heat. There were five or six of us.

"So there was definitely something in the water."

James Pattinson, Josh Lalor, Jack Prestwidge, Matt Renshaw and Cameron Gannon were the other local players to depart in the off-season.

Cutting retired from first-class cricket in 2018 and has not been part of Queensland's state contract list for the past two seasons.

And while he refused to name names, he did not hide his feelings towards Heat management.

"With COVID they have cut a lot of people out of management," Cutting said.

"But there is still a couple left in management who were making the decisions and are probably the reason five or six of us did walk away.

"Most of those (players still there) are great mates of mine and a lot of them are coming to my wedding.

"But I still want to stick it into them on the cricket field."

Heat coach Darren Lehmann said he held no ill feeling towards his former player.

"He's been a fantastic player for the Heat," Lehmann said on Sunday. "That's his opinion, that's OK, he's entitled to his option.

"Ben has been one of our foundation players, at some stage you move on occasionally and that's what's happened with Ben.

"We wish him all the best, we think he's been a fantastic player for us over many years, and hopefully he won't make too big an impact tomorrow night.

"That's just what happens in cricket sometimes."

Sydney Thunder coach Shane Bond, who has worked with Cutting at IPL champions Mumbai, said he was "hugely surprised" that the veteran became available in the off-season

"If you look at Ben's figures comparatively to everyone else in the competition, what he does in that No.6 role, he's the standout player in terms of strike rate and what he can offer," Bond told cricket.com.au earlier this year.

"There's not many people who can come out a strike the ball like he can and we wanted to add that to our team. He's a professional, he looks after himself, he prepares well … to bring an experienced player of that quality, you can't beat having an outstanding local player like Ben."

The Heat and Thunder will be chasing their first win of the season when they meet at Manuka Oval on Monday after they both lost to the Melbourne Stars over the weekend.

The Heat have announced the recruitment of Englishman Joe Denly, who will be available in early January , to replace countryman Ton Banton while Afghan spin star Mujeeb Ur Rahman is set to play his first game of the season after recovering from COVID-19.