Josh Brown, the winner of the BBL, was signed by the Melbourne Renegades for a two-year contract to replace the retired Aaron Finch.
After dominating Brisbane grade cricket, Brown, 30, made a big impression on the Heat during their two seasons together, guiding them to two finals and the championship last year. It is understood that there is a two-year option to extend the original agreement.
Brown has scored 624 runs with a strike average of 149.64 in his first 23 BBL games, averaging 27.13. He first gained national attention in the previous season’s BBL finals, when he hit a career-high 140 from 71 balls, including a BBL record 12 sixes, against Adelaide Strikers in the Challenger to advance the Heat to the championship game. He then followed it up with a match-winning 53 against Sydney Sixers in the championship game.
Due to his performance, he received interest from foreign T20 teams and accepted an opportunity to play for Chattogram Challengers in the Bangladesh Premier League. Also, upon his return from Bangladesh, he made his List A debut for Queensland.
The struggling Melbourne team, Renegades general manager James Rosengarten, expressed his excitement at bringing Brown into a revamped roster for the upcoming campaign.
Josh’s addition to our team excites us much, according to Rosengarten. Josh will play a different position in our batting order this year, which we have clearly defined for him.
Josh has a terrific mix of aggression and poise, as the recent BBL finals series showed for all of us. Josh’s impressive season and BBL finals series were not surprising as we have been following him for some time.”
After making what they thought was a compelling offer, the Brisbane Heat acknowledged that they were disappointed to lose Brown.
The new general manager of Queensland Cricket, Joe Dawes, stated, “We gave Josh and his management a two-year contract offer that was very lucrative and a significant uplift.” “But even though we thought our offer was extremely competitive and more than fair, we recognise the allure of a four-year commitment for him as a player.
“Our fans will justifiably be disappointed that he won’t be with us going forward, and as a club, we are sad to lose Josh, no doubt.”
Brown and Jake Fraser-McGurk appear to be forming a strong starting tandem. He was appreciative that Heat had given him the opportunity to participate in the BBL.
“I’ve enjoyed my time with the Heat, they gave me my opportunity, for which I’ll always be grateful and have cherished memories including winning a BBL Championship last season,” he stated. Still, I am eager to take on a new task and, hopefully, succeed in the same way as the Renegades.
“They are a talented young team with a lot of firepower, particularly in the batting group. I’m eager to collaborate with people like Will Sutherland and Jake Fraser-McGurk to see what we can accomplish.”