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Axed Australia Test batsman Joe Burns this evening had a glimmer of success in his horrific summer with the bat, with 52 runs from 38 balls to lead the Brisbane Heat to victory at Gabba.
Burns was sacked from the Australian test team for the third and fourth tests against India on the back of a horrendous run of form in the Shieffield Shield, Australia A games and the first two tests of the series.
And while many pundits saw Burns’ return to the Big Bash League as an opportunity for the right-hander to refresh his mind and rediscover his elite form, he made just one point in his first return match, against the Sydney Sixers on Saturday night.
But the Sydney Thunder were the victims of a brilliant Burns round tonight, which saw the Queenslander hitting five fours and two sixes after stepping down the middle at number four.
Burns said he managed to stay positive over the summer despite his severe lack of leads.
“This game is always tough. There are ups and downs along the way, especially when you’re playing Test cricket and playing at the highest level,” Burns told Fox Cricket.
“But I remained really grateful for every opportunity. You still have the chance to open the bat for Australia on Boxing Day, and you still have the chance to come out and beat in front of a lot of fans at The Gabba in a big tournament. It’s always a lot of fun. Obviously, it’s a lot more fun when you’re doing well and your team wins and racing, but you keep a really grateful state of mind. “
Burns then made the Fox Cricket comment panel laugh.
“Boys, I was a little frustrated, though, not to go out. I wanted to take my season average from two to around six,” he joked.
Burns, England’s Joe Denly (50 of 36) and master blaster Chris Lynn (30 of 16) catapulted Brisbane to a five-wicket victory.
Burns’ proactive mindset was on display when he hoisted a delivery from Chris Tremain over a long stretch from the last ball of the sixth.
Although this was more of a slog than a manual shot, Burns had made a very clear statement to both his believers and his skeptics.
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