Picture Credit: X
On Sunday, January 5, Big Bash League (BBL) franchise Sydney Thunder announced their squad for the upcoming clash against Brisbane Heat, set to take place on Monday, January 6 at the Gabba in Brisbane. In a shocking turn of events, Sydney Thunder’s 41-year-old assistant coach, Dan Christian was named in the 14-member squad as a replacement player amid mounting injury concerns in the camp.
It is to be noted that Daniel Sams and Cameron Bancroft were the latest to add to the ever-growing injury list for the Thunders after the duo suffered a horrific collision during their game against Perth Scorchers on Friday. While Bancroft has been sidelined for a lengthy period after breaking both nose and shoulder, Daniel Sams will miss at least 12 days of action after suffering concussion.
Dan Christian comes out of retirement; named replacement player
Apart from Daniel Sams and Cameron Bancroft, Sydney Thunder are missing the services of Tanveer Sangha due to side strain, along with Jason Sangha (bicep) and Sam Konstas (Australia Test duties). However, it is not known whether Christian will take the field in the XI or not, but Trent Copeland also opened up on the 41-year-old getting back to the game.
“We’re very fortunate to have Dan already within the club. He’s a legend of the BBL and we’ve got no doubt he’s still up to the level. We can’t wait to see him jump back into this environment and make an impact, Thunder General Manager said. The Aussie all-rounder also expressed excitement on grabbing the opportunity while serving as the coach of the side.
“I’m fully committed to my coaching role with the team and have really enjoyed working with the squad we have here at Sydney Thunder for BBL 14. I made the decision during the off-season that a return to the BBL or any other T20 league was never entirely off the table for me. I’ve been playing NSW Premier Cricket with UNSW Cricket Club, and training hard. The body feels great, and I wanted to ensure I was prepared if an opportunity arose,” he said as quoted in Thunder’s release.
Sydney Thunder’s squad vs Brisbane Heat BBL clash
David Warner (Captain), Wes Agar, Tom Andrews, Sam Billings, Dan Christian, Ollie Davies, Lockie Ferguson, Matt Gilkes, Toby Gray, Chris Green, Liam Hatcher, Blake Nikitaras, Sherfane Rutherford, Hugh Weibgen
