Ex-Red Rose man Burns is eager for county shot after fatigue
AUSTRALIAN Test opener Joe Burns remains keen to play county cricket – despite his ill-fated sojourn with Lancashire last year.
Burns played only one match with the Red Rose before returning to Australia after being diagnosed with a fatigue disorder.
Though omitted from last year’s Ashes squad, the Queenslander returned to the national side to play five Tests in the southern summer, and was rewarded by promotion to Cricket Australia’s central contract list last month.
The 30-year-old right-hander said he would still be eager to return to county cricket despite last year’s fatigue diagnosis, which doctors linked to a 2018 viral infection.
“I think from year to year players want to play as much cricket as possible,” said Burns, who previously completed stints with Middlesex and Leicestershire.
“The calendars and the schedule dictate our availability a lot of time, but obviously if there are large breaks in our schedule then the opportunities to play county cricket are always fantastic, to get over there and play as much as possible.”
While Burns said his early return from Lancashire had allowed him to be mentally and physically ready for the Australian summer, he said English stints were invariably a boon for Australian batsmen.
“You see it year in year out, players who want to get over there and play county cricket,” Burns said.
“Marnus Labauschagne is a great example, the way he went to Glamorgan and made so many runs and then stepped into the Ashes and did so well.”