McCullum will not feature in the upcoming edition of the BBL

Image courtesy of: Zimbio

West Indies batsman Lendl Simmons has taken New Zealand captain Brendon McCullum’s spot on the Brisbane Heat’s roster for the upcoming edition of the Big Bash League (BBL).

McCullum, who signed a three-year deal with the Heat in June, opted to skip the tournament due to his international commitments, which will see New Zealand host Sri Lanka for two Tests, five ODIs and two Twenty20 Internationals from December 10.

The BBL is set to commence on December 17 and the Heat are scheduled to play their first game on December 19.

Simmons will join his compatriot Samuel Badree as the Heat’s second international player and the 30-year-old will be available for the entire tournament.

“Brendon, the Heat and New Zealand Cricket have worked hard at things but in the end, his commitment to the Black Caps is the priority at this time and we accept that,” Heat coach and McCullum’s former New Zealand team-mate Daniel Vettori said. “Brendon signed a three-year deal originally and we had hoped circumstances would allow more matches this year than has turned out.”