Photo Credit: Queensland Cricket
The Queensland Bulls have added established and potential talent to their playing list for the coming 2023-24 Australian domestic cricket season.
Queensland Cricket today unveiled the Bulls squad which features 18 full State contracts and five Rookie contracts in addition to Cricket Australian centrally contracted players Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne and Michael Neser.
New to the Bulls squad are recent Australian limited overs batsman Ben McDermott, who has returned home after eight years with Tasmania, and top order batsman Aryan Jain who made his first class debut last summer for Queensland, recording two Marsh Sheffield Shield appearances.
There are two first-time Rookie contracted players in Wests quick Tom Whitney and teenage Valley allrounder Hugh Weibgen, a current member of the Australian Under-19 squad.
Whitney, 20, made his Bulls debut last summer in their final Marsh One Day Cup game of the season. He previously represented Australia at the ICC Under-19 World Cup in the West Indies at the start of last year.
Weibgen,18, hit three half centuries against the touring English Under-19 squad at the end of the season as well as claiming 4-21 with his off-breaks in a One Day Youth International in the same series.
Players going off the contract list are batsmen Sam Heazlett and Sam Truloff and pace bowlers Kane Richardson and Matthew Willans.
Queensland Cricket General Manager – High Performance, Bennett King, said squad stability had been an important element to emerge in the post-season review process.
“The four players going off the list certainly remain in our selection plans going forward,’’ he said.
“Each of them has had the chance for in-depth discussions with our coaching staff and selectors about where things sit leading into the coming season and what we will be looking for from them in Premier Cricket,’’ he said.
“We’re excited to welcome Ben McDermott and Aryan Jain to our senior list for the first time, and Tom and Hugh to the rookie list.
“Aryan has worked hard to reach this level through his efforts with Souths, as have Tom and Hugh with Wests and Valley respectively in the KFC Queensland Premier Cricket competition,” King said.
Queensland finished fourth in the Marsh One Day Cup and third in the Marsh Sheffield Shield last season.
2023-24 Queensland Bulls Squad List
National contract
Usman Khawaja (CA)
Marnus Labuschagne (CA)
Michael Neser (CA)
State contract
Xavier Bartlett
James Bazley
Max Bryant
Joe Burns
Jack Clayton
Blake Edwards
Liam Guthrie
Aryan Jain (NEW)
Matthew Kuhnemann
Ben McDermott (NEW)
Jimmy Peirson
Matthew Renshaw
Gurinder Sandhu
Mark Steketee
Bryce Street
Connor Sully
Mitch Swepson
Jack Wildermuth
Rookie contract
Will Prestwidge
Jack Sinfield
Hugo Burdon
Hugh Weibgen (NEW)
Tom Whitney (NEW)
In: Ben McDermott, Aryan Jain, Tom Whitney, Hugh WeibgenOut: Sam Truloff, Sam Heazlett, Matthew Willans, Kane Richardson
Name of Author: Queensland Cricket
Queensland Cricket, previously the Queensland Cricket Association, is the governing body for cricket in Queensland, Australia. Established in 1876, it oversees the Queensland Bulls, Queensland Fire, Allan Border Field, and Queensland Premier Cricket. Terry Svenson is the current CEO, and Kirsten Pike is the Chair of the Board of Directors.