Heat trio kickstart Aussie Big Bash returns

Brisbane's Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne and Matthew Renshaw will be the first Aussie Test stars to return to the Big Bash this summer with the trio to be named for the Heat's clash with Perth Scorchers at the Gabba on Wednesday night.

Khawaja is set to make his debut for the club after switching from the Sydney Thunder during the off-season, while Labuschagne returns for his seventh season with the Heat after also playing one match last summer following the Ashes.

The pair are considered like-for-like replacements for overseas duo Colin Munro and Sam Billings who both played their last match of KFC BBL|12 in Saturday's seven-wicket loss to the Scorchers before departing for the UAE International League T20.

Khawaja will captain the side and is expected to replace Munro at the top of the order, while Labuschagne could slot in at No.3 or No.4 depending on how the Heat decide to structure up.

Renshaw has batted at three during his four matches already for the Heat this season with a top score of 29, while he also sent down an over of off-spin in his last appearance against the Thunder on December 29.

The return of their domestic international stars will be a welcome boost for the Heat who sit second last on the BBL|12 table having won just two of their eight games.

"It's going to be great having those guys back, three big ins for us," stand-in skipper Jimmy Peirson said after the Heat's last match on Saturday.

"The all-round options we're going to have through Marnus and Matty Renshaw coming back in, that gives us the option to play an extra batter or an extra seamer to try and maximise one of our disciplines."

The Scorchers could also add spin bowling allrounder Ashton Agar to their XI for tomorrow's clash after he was picked for his first Test in five years in Sydney, while the also welcomed back speedster Lance Morris in the last match after he spent the summer with the Australian squad.

Agar has picked up four wickets with a miserly economy rate of just 7.60 in his five matches for the Scorchers this season before being drafted into the Test side.

Labuschagne said he would have long batting session at Heat training on Tuesday afternoon to sort through a few technical tweaks that go with switching from the longest to the shortest format.

"Getting a nice strong base, a little bit of a wider stance and a few small tweaks with (my) grip and hands just to give a bit more freedom to clear the ropes," he said of the technical changes after touching down in Brisbane on this morning.

"We're excited to be involved in the BBL, it's a great competition.

"We're pretty pumped to be able to join, obviously myself, Uz (Khawaja) and Renny (Renshaw) come back this game so hopefully that adds a little bit of strength to the side and we can have fun and enjoy the few games that were available for."

Labuschagne said he had been impressed from afar watching the likes of Josh Brown and Nathan McSweeney step up for the Heat during a tough start to the campaign.

"We played (Brown) this year in the Premier (T20 Max) competition and he smacked me around (for) a few in the opening game against Norths," Australia's Test No.3 said.

"He was very good and I thought this guy could really do something if he gets an opportunity in the BBL.

"I'm pretty happy that Heat picked him up and we've given him that opportunity and hopefully he can set the rest of the competition alight in the last few games."

The reigning BBL champions will then cop David Warner when he lines up for his first Big Bash match in nine years as the Sydney Thunder take on the Scorchers at home on Friday night.

Warner, who scored the BBL's first ever century in December 2011, will play five games for the club after signing a lucrative two-year deal last August.

It looms as a tough trip to the eastern seaboard for the Scorchers who will also face off with Steve Smith and Nathan Lyon in their first match of the season for the Sixers on Sunday at the SCG.

That venue will then host one of the most anticipated matches of BBL|12 six days later when Smith and Lyon go head-to-head with Warner in the summer's second edition of the Sydney Smash on January 21.

Travis Head and Alex Carey will also return to the Strikers side on Saturday night against the Heat after being rested for Adelaide's match against the Renegades tonight and the Stars on Thursday following a gruelling five-Test summer.

"After two and a half months of Test cricket and lots of travel, we have worked with Travis, Alex and Cricket Australia to ensure the two of them get the rest they need in a busy summer," said Tim Nielsen, SACA General Manager of Cricket.

"Looking ahead to the Test and ODI tour of India in February and March, this period was identified as the only chance for the two to recover post a big summer of Test cricket, have a physical and mental break and enjoy some time at home."

Those players named in Australia's Test squad tomorrow morning for the four-Test tour of India beginning in Nagpur on February 9 will also be unavailable for their club's BBL finals campaigns with the squad to depart for the subcontinent nation at the end of the month.

Heat squad v Scorchers: Usman Khawaja (c), Josh Brown, Xavier Bartlett, James Bazley, Max Bryant, Spencer Johnson, Matthew Kuhnemann, Marnus Labuschagne, Nathan McSweeney, Michael Neser, Jimmy Peirson, Matthew Renshaw, Mark Steketee, Mitchell Swepson, Ross Whiteley (England)

Scorchers squad v Heat: Ashton Turner (c), Ashton Agar, Cameron Bancroft, Jason Behrendorff, Cooper Connolly, Stephen Eskinazi (England), David Payne (England), Aaron Hardie, Peter Hatzoglou, Nick Hobson, Josh Inglis, Matthew Kelly , Lance Morris, Andrew Tye