The franchise made a rather shock decision to part ways with former skipper Chris Lynn, as confirmed by the Queensland Cricket and Brisbane Heat CEO Terry Svenson on May 11. The call was made after the club’s disappointing Bib Bash League 2021-22 campaign, in which they finished 7th with just three wins from 14 games. Lynn could manage just 215 runs from 12 outings.
“It’s not a decision that has come easily to the Heat by any means. Chris Lynn and his feats have made an indelible impression on the club, and his efforts over more than a decade can rightly be said to have had an enormously positive effect on cricket.
The Heat wish him nothing but the best for the future as he transitions into another phase of his career and thank him wholeheartedly for his commitment to the game in Queensland.”
Svenson said.
Lynn is currently the leading run-scorer in BBL history, with 3,005 runs at 34.54, while having maintained an impressive strike-rate of 148.83.
His 180-sixes tally is the highest in the competition, well ahead of the next best Glenn Maxwell who has 109. He’s one of the only three players to have hit 11 sixes in an innings, alongside Chris Gayle and Criag Simmons, having done so on two different occasions.
Lynn didn’t enjoy much success as a captain, with just 21 wins from 50 games. He’d stepped down from the role last year, with Jimmy Pierson taking over. Queensland Cricket’s Recruitment and Retention Committee Chair, Ian Healy commented on the high profile departure, terming the decision as one that needed to be done to build a new legacy, one which was built earlier with Lynn in key roles. Healy was also quick to add that Lynn would have a special place in the club’s history.
The 32-year-old will be a much sought after player ahead of BBL 12, given his reputation and track record. Usman Khawaja is likely to replace Lynn in the setup, after he opted to leave Sydney Thunder with family reasons and resides in Brisbane.
