BBL|12 preview: Brisbane heating up for new era

The Brisbane Heat's preparations for KFC BBL|12 got underway back in winter with the introduction of a new local T20 Max competition that not only helped hone their players white-ball skills but allowed them to complete their playing roster for the coming season.

The three-week competition featured at least 18 players contracted to Big Bash clubs, as well as two Indian Premier League quicks, with Spencer Johnson, Will Prestwidge and Josh Brown earning a spot in the Heat squad for BBL|12 by virtue of their impressive T20 Max campaigns.

"We put an emphasis on playing more T20 Cricket throughout the offseason, so in Brisbane, we had an extended club T20 competition that happened in August," Heat coach Wade Seccombe said.

"Whilst it was early, we got game time into a lot of our players so they've got more experience playing T20 cricket

"And then we've just kept developing skills throughout the summer; as the Shield season's been going we've also had done white-ball sessions."

While the departure of the BBL's most prolific run scorer in its history, Chris Lynn, will no doubt be felt in Brisbane, the Heat's recruiting team have secured some more than serviceable replacements.

English imports Sam Billings and Ross Whiteley will bolster an already powerful batting line-up when at full strength, with the former especially having already proven himself in the BBL with the Sydney Thunder over the past two seasons.

Usman Khawaja has immediately taken on the captaincy after jumping ship from the Thunder, however he, along with Marnus Labuschagne – and potentially Michael Neser – will be unavailable for much of the campaign with Test duties.

After spending four seasons in Brisbane, Mujeeb Ur Rahman was swooped on by the Melbourne Renegades in August's draft putting a home-grown spin on the slow-bowling department with Test-capped leggie Mitch Swepson and left-arm tweaker Matthew Kuhnemann waiting in the wings.

BBL|11 result: Seventh

BBL|12 Draft picks: Sam Billings (4th – Platinum), Colin Munro (11th – Silver), Ross Whitely (27th – Bronze)

Squad: Xavier Bartlett, James Bazely, Sam Billings (England), Max Bryant, Sam Heazlett, Spencer Johnson, Usman Khawaja, Matthew Kuhnemann, Marnus Labuschagne, Colin Munro (New Zealand), Michael Neser, Jimmy Pierson, Will Prestwidge, Matthew Renshaw, Mark Steketee, Mitchell Swepson, Ross Whiteley (England), Jack WIldermuth. Replacement players: Sam Hain (England), Josh Brown, Nathan McSweeney

Ins: Sam Billings (Sydney Thunder), Spencer Johnson (Adelaide Strikers), Usman Khawaja (Sydney Thunder), Colin Munro (Perth Scorchers), Will Prestwidge, Ross Whiteley, Sam Hain

Outs: Tom Abell, Tom Cooper, Ben Duckett, Chris Lynn (Adelaide Strikers), Mujeeb Ur Rahman (Melbourne Renegades), Connor Sully, Matthew WIllans

Possible best XI: Usman Khawaja, Max Bryant, Marnus Labuschagne, Sam Billings, Colin Munro, Ross Whiteley, Jimmy Pierson (wk), Michael Neser, Jack Wildermuth, Mark Steketee, Mitchell Swepson

Possible best XI for first game: Max Bryant, Colin Munro, Matthew Renshaw, Sam Billings, Ross Whiteley, Sam Heazlett, Jimmy Pierson (wk), Michael Neser, Jack Wildermuth, Mark Steketee, Mitchell Swepson

Inside word with coach Wade Seccombe

The off-season

"It is a new element (the winter T20 competion). Our Premier competition, we want to extend that experience in T20 cricket and get more games into guys so that's a new initiative. Continuing the white-ball stuff is just keeping it front mind so that we're still developing skills as the season's going on while guys are still in the midst of playing red ball cricket.

"The thinking was to get more games of T20 cricket into our aspiring players as well so that by the time they get to the level of playing for the Brisbane Heat they've got a wealth of experience and circumstances. And so that we create a really good T20 tournament that we'd like to think is second to the BBL in Australian cricket."

The draft picks

"Once we saw the draft (list) and where they sat in the pecking order, 100 per cent we targeted them (Sam Billings and Colin Munro) there's no doubt about that because we know what quality players they are and they've done it in the BBL before. A big part of the strategy is to have that experience here in Australia before so we were very happy with the way it played out for us."

Losing Lynn

"Losing Chris is a big one for our organisation because he's been such a big part of it over many seasons. But look, we've recruited well with the internationals plus we've had the good fortune of getting Usman Khawaja and Matthew Renshaw back so we have bolstered our batting stocks throughout the summer.

"We've got our internationals for the first half and we bring back the Test players for the back half of the tournament, so losing Chris, we've got tons to make up there but I'm confident we're going to make up the runs."

Captain Khawaja

"He's a captain for the Queensland cricket team at the Bulls and the Brisbane Heat – the vast majority a Queensland players – and that was just a natural step that he took over so it's almost a seamless process."

Mitch Swepson's role

"He's an attacking spinner. We couldn't keep the strategy going with Mujeeb, which was always going to be a challenge for us. But I think Sweppo's performance in T20 cricket, particularly in the BBL, is right up there. He plays a great role for us as an attacking weapon through the middle overs.

"So yes, we've lost Mujeeb but Sweppo, I don't think he has to step up, it's just a continuation of his role, plus we've got Matthew Kuhnemann there who to me is a class act and can take wickets as well as contain, so I feel like we've got the bases covered."

Max Bryant bombs

"Max is in a really sweet spot with his game at the minute, he's just trusting it and that's the piece that we're really enjoying, he's just going out there, playing good natural cricket shots and that's explosive enough for us."

Biggest threat

"There's teams that have done it in the past and have been consistently at the top of the list – the Sixers and the Scorchers have been at the top of the list in previous years.

"All the teams are shaping up quite strong, the drafting allowed teams to get bits and pieces that maybe they didn't have the connections with through circumstances previously. But it's the teams that have had experience of doing well in the tournament you want to shape up well against."