One of the most promising young batsmen in Australia, Joe Burns will be a contender for Test honours over the coming years if he can build on an impressive start to his first-class career. A stylish batsman who plays straight, plays late and has the patience to wait for balls in his area - a trait that has become less common among young Sheffield Shield batsmen - Burns burst on to the scene with 140 on Shield debut against South Australia late in the 2010-11 season. It was the third highest score on debut by a Queensland player and he became a fixture in the Shield-winning state team the following summer, when he scored 781 runs at 41.10, placing him fifth on the competition tally. Although he didn't quite hit the same heights in 2012-13, his 587 runs at 32.61 still made him Queensland's top Shield scorer for the second consecutive season. Burns made his Australia A debut on the tour of England in 2012 and scored 114 while playing for Australia A against the England Lions in a one-day game in early 2013. At the time, Burns had just been named the Bradman Young Cricketer of the Year and he finished the 2012-13 season strongly. A level-headed individual who has studied business and finance at university, Burns is the kind of character who should appeal to John Inverarity's national selection panel.
Brydon Coverdale