Brisbane, Dec 3 (IANS) Australia’s left-arm fast bowler Spencer Johnson has been ruled out of the upcoming Big Bash League (BBL) season due to a long-standing back injury. Johnson made his debut for the Brisbane Heat in 2023 and was player of the final in their championship win in 2024.
Johnson, who’s played five ODIs and eight T20Is for Australia, has been recovering from a back complaint that has prevented him from playing any cricket after turning out for Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in IPL 2025. Now with Johnson being ruled out of playing in BBL, it also puts his chances of playing next year’s T20 World Cup in jeopardy.
“I’ve had plenty of expert support from everyone involved in the process and I am very confident that I will be back and doing what I love as soon as possible. I know the Heat fans will be 100 percent behind the squad again this season and I will be cheering on with them from the sidelines,” he said in a statement by the club on Wednesday.
Terry Svenson, the Brisbane Heat CEO, said he wishes for Johnson a speedy recovery and would look forward to seeing him return for the club next year. “Spencer continues to recover from a back injury and pleasingly, this is improving.”
“However, the latest timeframe for his return to play does not enable him to participate in the BBL this season. We’re all disappointed for Spencer but will provide him with ongoing support as he continues to recover. He’s fought back admirably from injury earlier in his career and I have no doubt he will again be dedicated to making a full recovery in the future,” he said.
The club also said a replacement for Johnson will be named closer to their opening BBL game against the Melbourne Renegades set to happen in Geelong on December 15.
Brisbane Heat squad: Shaheen Shah Afridi (Pakistan), Tom Alsop (England), Colin Munro (New Zealand), Xavier Bartlett, Max Bryant, Lachlan Hearne, Spencer Johnson, Usman Khawaja, Matt Kuhnemann, Marnus Labuschagne, Nathan McSweeney, Michael Neser, Oli Patterson, Jimmy Peirson, Matthew Renshaw, Callum Vidler, Hugh Weibgen, Jack Wildermuth.
–IANS
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