BRISBANE: Brisbane Heat on Thursday confirmed the re-signing of Australian batsman Marnus Labuschagne for the upcoming Big Bash League (BBL).
The breakout batsman of the past 12 months for Australia has agreed to play for the Heat for his fifth season in the BBL.
Having forged a reputation as a brilliant Test and 50-over batsman, the 26-year-old showed his enormous potential in the game's shortest format in last season's BBL and then again during Australia's recent winter limited overs tour of England.
"Marnus is a great example to any young cricketer about the importance of working smarter as well as working harder in order to improve his skills and get better, and his terrific progress as a T20 player vindicates that," Heat coach Darren Lehmann said in an official statement.
"He loves to tap into the experiences of his teammates and based on what we saw of him in last season's BBL, T20 is the logical next format for him to spread his wings and succeed," he added.
Speaking from Adelaide where he is preparing with the Queensland Bulls for their second Marsh Sheffield Shield match of the season, Labuschagne said he was thrilled at the prospect of testing himself in the BBL once again this summer against some of the best T20 players in the world and taking his game to the next level.
"Anyone who knows me knows that I love a challenge, improving and being in the game all the time. That's especially the case with playing in the BBL. T20 is a challenging format and I want to continue to get better when I get the chance," said Labuschagne.
"Having had the chance to bat with AB de Villiers and play with and against a number of brilliant players was a wonderful learning opportunity last season. I'm excited to turn those experiences into performances when I get on the field to play and help the Heat win as many games as possible," he added.