Brisbane axe Lynn-sanity
Heat on rivals to nab fallen Big Bash star
BRISBANE Heat officials are bracing themselves for intense scrutiny from their fan base after prioritising winning ahead of entertainment to axe star drawcard Chris Lynn.
Stung by the team’s modest overall record that has reaped just one Big Bash title in 11 years, the Heat have failed to offer Lynn, the competition’s all-time leading run-scorer, a new deal and it has been an acrimonious parting.
Lynn, who played 102 games for the club, did not appear at the press conference to announce the decision on Wednesday and is yet to comment on his exit.
The decision cuts to the heart of what the Big Bash should be as a tournament – an entertainment fixture for children, to whom Lynn is a fan favourite, or a worthy competition?
Test great Ian Healy, a Queensland Board member who was part of a committee who made the decision, said Lynn was not enjoying his cricket, players around him were not lifting and the decision was made for pure cricket reasons.
“I think this is the start of the Brisbane Heat going more to winning than entertaining,’’ said Healy of Lynn, who carried the team for years but averaged just 18 in the most recent Big Bash.
“I don’t think the winning part has come easily for us. And neither party have been enjoying the relationship. Lynny was so heavily relied upon year after year, and it’s just become not enjoyable for him. So it’s a mutual thing.
“We were going nowhere as a team, and he wasn’t enjoying it. All my instincts tell me that he’s not finished. He’s still got five good years.
“It’s the fact that neither party was making ground in the years where Chris and Brendon McCullum were setting the Big Bash on fire with entertainment.
“We still weren’t winning. To me, the other players weren’t stepping up and they’re still not stepping up.
“So we’ve just got to make a step and, and get some real responsibility into our players.
“I think our fan base will be looking eagerly at what’s up our sleeve … not even we know what’s up our sleeves yet.’’
Healy was referring to the fact that the competition will have its first international draft and had not started its recruiting season for next summer.
Heat chief executive officer Terry Svenson said the time had come to prioritise results.
“We’ve probably finished in the bottom four more times than the top for over many years and we want to get back to more consistent winning and we’ve got to look at the balance of the team and that’s what the coaching staff are doing,’’ Svenson said.