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Sydney [Australia], September 2 (ANI): Big Bash League (BBL) franchise Sydney Thunder on Thursday named left-handed batsman Usman Khawaja as their skipper for the upcoming edition of the tournament.

The three-format Australian international and captain of Queensland’s reigning Sheffield Shield winning team has been with Thunder from the outset of the Big Bash League and is the club’s highest ever run-scorer and longest-serving player.

Khawaja’s passion for the Thunder and the Western Sydney region is palpable.

“It’s a great privilege to be captain of any team, but for me especially being captain of Sydney Thunder probably means a little more. I grew up in Western Sydney, about ten minutes from where the Thunder play at Sydney Showground Stadium, and even though I now live in Queensland I have never forgotten where I come from,” Khawaja said in an official release.

“The majority of my close friends are from Western Sydney and I have that strong emotional connection with the club and the region. It’s very close to my heart,” he added.

The left-hander paid tribute to departing Thunder captain Callum Ferguson and said he wouldn’t be doing things a whole lot different to his predecessor in BBL|11.

Sydney Thunder BBL Squad:Head Coach: Trevor BaylissAssistant Coach: Shawn Bradstreet, Chandika HathurusingheContracted for BBL 11: Usman Khawaja (C), Jonathan Cook, Ben Cutting, Ollie Davies, Brendan Doggett, Matthew Gilkes, Chris Green, Alex Hales, Baxter Holt, Nathan McAndrew, Alex Ross, Daniel Sams, Tanveer Sangha, Chris Tremain. (ANI)