Heat sign multi-skilled allrounder with depth set to be tested

Reigning men's Big Bash champions Brisbane Heat have added versatile allrounder Jack Wood to their KFC BBL|14 roster as they face the prospect of being without title-winning captain Nathan McSweeney for most of the season.

McSweeney's elevation to the Test side to partner full-time Heat captain Usman Khawaja against India means the club are now searching for another top order player to boost their batting depth.

McSweeney hit 222 runs from No.3 last Big Bash season and stepped in as captain for the finals when Khawaja and Colin Munro were unavailable. But should he retain his spot for the entire five-Test Border-Gavaskar Trophy series, he now won't be available until the Heat's final three games of the regular season.

Brisbane Heat BBL|14 squad (so far): Tom Alsop (England), Xavier Bartlett, Max Bryant, Spencer Johnson, Usman Khawaja, Matthew Kuhnemann, Marnus Labuschagne, Nathan McSweeney, Colin Munro (New Zealand), Michael Neser, Jimmy Peirson, Will Prestwidge, Matthew Renshaw, Mitchell Swepson, Callum Vidler, Paul Walter (England), Jack Wood

Brisbane have also lost Josh Brown from the top of their batting line up following his off-season move to Melbourne Renegades.

Matthew Renshaw or Max Bryant could be candidates to step into the role, although both batted in the middle-order in BBL|13. Jimmy Peirson is another option to open after he was enlisted to fill the void at the top last campaign after Munro departed early for the UAE's ILT20 competition.

Munro will be available for the full campaign including finals in BBL|14 after signing a two-year deal under the league's new direct signing option for overseas players.

Left-arm multi-skilled pace and wrist-spinning allrounder Wood has been part of the Heat's roster for the past two summers but didn't play a game during that time. He played one match in BBL|11 and another in BBL|10 as a Covid replacement player, taking 2-28 in his debut.

Wood has penned a one-year deal and fills the 17th spot of 18 on the Heat roster for BBL|14. The club will be permitted to sign replacement players for each of their Australian Test representatives – Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne and McSweeney.

The Heat (3) had the most players that were named in Australia's 13-man squad for the first Test in Perth, with Perth Scorchers (2 – Mitch Marsh and Josh Inglis), Adelaide Strikers (2 – Travis Head and Alex Carey), Sydney Sixers (Steve Smith), Melbourne Renegades (Nathan Lyon) and Melbourne Stars (Scott Boland) also affected.

Wood is also a talented singer-songwriter who has performed at Heat home games and released his own original music through Spotify. He recently added fast bowling to his cricketing repertoire after beginning his career as a wrist-spinner.

The 28-year-old played in several franchise tournaments during the winter – he averaged 38 in the Cayman Islands MAX60 T10 tournament and represented Australia in the recent Hong Kong International Sixes competition, where he hit 55 not out from 16 balls.

The Heat kick off their BBL|14 campaign at the MCG against the Stars on December 18 before their first home game against the Strikers on December 22.

BKT Big Bash Tipping is back! Simply select who you think will win each match and you’ll be in with the chance to win $1k every week, plus KFC vouchers and signed merch. Join now