Bulls go bush for 'relaxed' pre-season camp

Johan Botha's alarm buzzes. It's 5am on a brisk, July morning. The sun is still a couple of hours away from rising.

But Botha jumps out of bed anyway. Or rather, he peels back the cover of his swag.

The new Queensland coach is camping on a picturesque farm in Croftby Downs, a one-and-a-half hour drive south west of the Gabba.

The farm is owned by a friend of assistant coach Andy Bichel, and the entire Bulls squad and coaches have assembled there for their annual pre-season camp.

A 12km run at 5:30 in the morning will be the most physical of the activities they'll undertake, with the main objectives of the two-night getaway being to galvanise the group and to get to know their new coach.

Although some of the fast bowlers managed to impress with their farming capabilities.

"We had to cut some tree logs into fence posts for the property," leg-spinner Mitch Swepson told the Unplayable Podcast.

"I've never seen a chainsaw be worked so well. Mark Steketee, he had it running. He was elite at the chainsaw and Michael Neser was as well.

"To be fair, those two could live out west easy, and you wouldn't know that they're from the city."

Chainsawing, fencing and running aside, the purpose of the retreat was all about getting back to basics.

Sleeping in tents or cars, putting away the electronics, telling stories by the campfire and enjoying a couple of cold drinks at the end of the day.

"It was awesome … It was good as a pre-season camp gets," Swepson said.

Marnus Labuschagne, installed as full-time Queensland captain replacing Usman Khawaja, was also able to attend having finished his commitments with UK side Glamorgan a week earlier.

The Test No.3 said having a less intense itinerary was a pleasant change from the recent camps the squad had done.

"We've done a few of those before, where we walked around Moreton (Island) for 50kms, they were a lot more fitness orientated," Labuschagne told cricket.com.au.

"But I think this was just a great reward for how good the boys have been in the pre-season.

"We just sat by the fire, had a barbecue and just enjoyed each other's company.

"We had no phone service at all, so it was two days of just really getting to know each other, just bonding."

After their first wooden spoon in the Sheffield Shield in 16 years, partnered with a fifth-place finish in the Marsh Cup, there were significant changes over winter at the Bulls.

In addition to the new coach Botha and new captain Labuschagne, Queensland delisted four players – Joe Burns, James Bazley, Blake Edwards and Aryan Jain – and lost Matthew Kuhnemann and Will Prestwidge to Tasmania.

Six fresh faces earned a contract for the new summer: Angus Lovell and Callum Vidler, who were both given debuts at the end of last season, plus Lachlan Hearne, Lachlan Aitken, Jem Ryan and Tom Straker.

Unsurprisingly, six changes were the most of any state squad.

The man tasked with turning those fortunes around is Botha, who accepted the dual roles of heading up the Bulls and the Brisbane Heat back in May.

The former South Africa captain's unflappable demeanour has laidback attitude has stood out to his new crop of players.

"He's very cool, calm and collected, so really excited to play under him," fast bowler Xavier Bartlett told cricket.com.au.

"Hopefully (we'll) evolve, not only personally, but also as a group. He seems really good for us."

The new captain-coach combination is off to a strong start as well.

"We get along very well," Labuschagne said.

"He's been amazing since he's come over.

"He's just feeling it out and seeing how the guys go, seeing how everyone goes about it, really not overplaying his hand, which I think is really good as a new coach.

"I can assume you want in, you want to fix everything, and you want to help, but I think he's done a really good job so far."