At the age of 39, all-around player Dan Christian gave up playing the game in all its forms. He then joined the Sydney Thunders as assistant coach for the current Big Bash League (BBL 2024–25) during his second stint as coach. However, the club has been struggling with persistent injury issues, and players have been excluded for the same reason. The cricket community was taken aback when Christian was brought to the team as a player.
Christian is listed on the roster for the Thunder’s January 6 game against the Brisbane Heat. Due to injuries, three of the team’s key players had to go, and Sam Konstas was included in the Australian team for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. General manager Trent Copeland stated that the Thunder are looking forward to the veteran’s contribution as a player.
The fact that Dan Christian is already a member of the club is truly fortunate for us.
He is unquestionably still competitive and is a BBL icon. In an interview with Sportstar, Copeland stated, “We can’t wait to see him jump back into this environment and make an impact.”
“I have thoroughly enjoyed working with the team we have here at Sydney Thunder for BBL 14, and I am totally dedicated to my coaching role with the team.” I made the decision during the off-season that I would never totally rule out playing in the BBL or any other T20 competition again. I’ve been playing NSW Premier Cricket and working hard with UNSW Cricket Club. “I wanted to make sure I was prepared in case something came up, and the physique feels fantastic,” Christian added.
During a BBL game, Sams-Bancroft was injured in a horrific collision.
The injured Sydney Thunder players who were unable to play included Tanveer Sangha with a side strain, Jason Sangha with a damaged bicep, Daniel Sams with a concussion, and Cameron Bancroft with a fractured shoulder and nose. During a recent BBL match, Sams and Bancroft were injured after a terrible altercation while fielding for their team. But this was not like that.
Brisbane Heat vs. Sydney Thunder Squad (Monday):
Hugh Weibgen, Daniel Christian, Ollie Davies, Lockie Ferguson, Matt Gilkes, Toby Gray, Chris Green, Liam Hatcher, Blake Nikitaras, Sherfane Rutherford, Wes Agar, Tom Andrews, Sam Billings, Dan Christian, and David Warner (C).
India
