Here at World Cricket Badger, we are introducing a Team of the Week feature where we look in depth into a state, county or franchise. We will be working our way around the globe. This week we start off in Australia with the country’s most successful state during the last couple of years, Queensland Bulls.
Joe Burns, a rising batting star of Queensland cricket, is backing the state to shine again this summer as they prepare to kick off their domestic campaign in Sydney later this week.
The 24-year-old Australia A right-hander has been instrumental in the Bulls’ and Brisbane Heat’s recent domestic success, which has brought the state as a whole all three titles in the last two summers.
Queensland cricket team (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Burns has also admitted that he believes every state player in Australia should be targeting an international call-up this season, no matter how young or old.
Queensland, now coached by Stuart Law and not Darren Lehmann, begin the defence of their one-day Ryobi Cup crown against Western Australia at Bankstown Oval on Friday, and Burns told World Cricket Badger: “We were trying to be the first team to hold all three titles at once last year, and I’m sure nothing’s going to change this summer.
“The way we’re going as a state, there’s no reason why we can’t hold all three again. I guess, despite the change of coach, we’ve still got a fantastic leadership group in James Hopes, Chris Hartley and Ryan Harris, the stalwarts of Queensland cricket who’ve been there for years and have seen so much success together. They know how to get it done.
“It’s a great launching pad for the younger guys to learn off those fellas and for them to keep us in check. If we do fall out of line and our standards fall, they’re the first people to get on your backs. That’s how you maintain success over a long period of time.
“We’re going through quite a strong period at the moment. I guess maybe three years ago we started to bring through quite a lot of young players, and out of that we have a successful team along with a stable one as well. It’s good to be a part of it.”
Burns has an impressive record in all three forms of the game. He has scored five hundreds and averages 39.52 from his 32 first-class matches for either Queensland, Australia A and Leicestershire, who whom he spent a portion of the most recent English summer.
He also averages 30.75 in List A cricket, including one hundred in 22 matches - that came for Australia A against England last summer - and he has impressed in Twenty20 cricket too. He top-scored in last season’s Big Bash final for the Heat against Perth with 46 not out and strikes at 124.05 runs every 100 balls.
“It’s been enjoyable so far,” he continued. “The main thing for me is that we’re winning titles. I’m just happy to be part of a championship winning team in the early part of my career. I think you learn so much about the game when you’re winning games and important games.
“It has been quite quick so far. But I guess as any player you have to keep on top of your game and keep working hard. You can’t get too far ahead of yourself, you have to keep your head down and make sure you get your work done because when you are at a successful state like Queensland, when you’re not performing, you can quickly find yourself out of the team. That really keeps you on your toes and keeps your honest.”
And as for the possibility of an international call-up, he said: “Yeah, there is (a chance for me). Having said that, there’s an opportunity for every domestic player in Australia. You don’t have to be a genius to know that if you perform well, then there’s a good chance you’ll get selected.
“Regardless of age, they’ve shown that they just want guys who perform. That will provide a lot of motivation for a lot of players. From my point of view, I try not to think too much about that. I try to make sure I’m just training hard and trying to learn off the guys that have played for Australia.”
And finally, Burns has also reserved praise for outgoing coach Lehmann and for the Queensland hierarchy for their appointment of Law as his successor.
He added: “For anyone involved in the game, you want to get to the top level. It’s testament to Darren’s ability as coach that he’s managed to do that. It shows that he’s the best coach in Australia. It was great to be coached by him at domestic level, and I’m sure he’s going to have as much success in international cricket as he had with the Bulls.
“It is good to have that past emphasis with Queensland, which sort of keeps our tradition going. It is a very proud and loyal state, and it is exciting.”
James Buttler
As the editor of World Cricket Badger he is intent on building the website to give quality coverage of the domestic game around the world.
He is also the presenter of the Cricket Badger Radio Show on Radio Yorkshire every Tuesday evening between 7-9pm UK time.
James was the full-time Media Manager at Yorkshire County Cricket Club between 2007 and 2010.
James is a published author, a writer/video contributor to many cricket publications and a complete cricket badger!
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