Axe hovering over Heat coach Vettori after horror season

Brisbane Heat coach and former player Dan Vettori is fighting to save his job after the struggling Big Bash League franchise announced a review into its season from hell.

Heat coach Daniel Vettori (left) with captain Chris Lynn (right). Picture: AAP

• ‘Dumb’: Embarrassing choke ends Heat’s season

Heat coach Dan Vettori is fighting to save his job after the struggling Big Bash League franchise announced a review into its season from hell.

The Courier-Mail can reveal Queensland Cricket powerbrokers will launch a full-scale analysis of the Heat’s operations following two shocking BBL seasons.

The Heat are languishing in second-last spot on the ladder ahead of Tuesday night’s showdown against the table-topping Hurricanes in Hobart.

Brisbane has only secured three wins from 10 games this summer and one of those was a washout against the Sydney Thunder.

The Heat hit rock bottom in a dreadful loss to the Melbourne Stars at the MCG on Sunday night where they failed to chase down a paltry 135 despite making a fast start.

Heat coach Daniel Vettori (left) with captain Chris Lynn (right). Picture: AAP

Vettori, New Zealand’s greatest ever spin bowler, is off-contract at the end of the tournament and facing the axe with the Heat having only won seven of their past 20 games.

The Heat are considering a coaching model which would see full-time Queensland staff, like Bulls legends Wade Seccombe and James Hopes, oversee the BBL operation rather than having dedicated T20 staff come in for the summer.

“Dan’s in his fourth season with us and is under contract until the end of the season,” said Heat general manager Andrew McShea.

“It (coach under pressure) is something that’s talked about in any sporting set-up when things aren’t going well.

Daniel Vettori in action for the Heat in 2013. Picture: Steve Pohlner

“We will sit down at the end of the season and look at everything. The whole set-up, balance of the squad, players and resources.

“The coaching set up and back-of-house needs to be looked at and reviewed.”

The Heat’s struggles in 2018-19 have come despite the franchise boasting supposedly one of the competition’s strongest rosters on paper.

The “Bash Brothers” Chris Lynn and Brendon McCullum have struggled for consistency like most of Brisbane’s batters while the Heat’s bowling attack is lacking depth.

Queensland Cricket CEO Max Walters said every aspect of the Heat set up would be reviewed.

MORE BIG BASH NEWS...

PREMIERS: Heat to build WBBL dynasty on local talent

“At the end of each season we have a full download of what went right and wrong and we’ll be doing the same this year,” he said.

“We’ll be talking to the players and coaching staff about how they see things.

“It certainly won’t be a witch hunt, that’s not the way we do things. It will be a full download on where we can go from here and improve performance.

“We think the players have got the ability. Every time you write the team down you think it’s a pretty good team.

“There are other teams with players of not great stature in the game, but they seem to get the job done.”

A dejected Brendon McCullum walks from the field. Picture: AAP

While Vettori is well liked by Heat hierarchy and players, the team’s performances may ultimately cost him his job.

The Heat have failed to win in five appearances in Queensland this summer, three at the Gabba and two at Metricon Stadium, which is terrible from a commercial aspect for the club.

“It’s frustrating because I believe we’ve got the best fans in the competition,” McShea said.

“We’ve got four matches to go and the guys have got to salvage something.

“At the end of the season we’ll be sitting down and reviewing everything and everyone involved.

“We want to represent the values Queensland sporting teams have been renowned for and that’s something we haven’t been doing.”

HEAT SQUAD: Chris Lynn (c), Max Bryant, Ben Cutting, Brendan Doggett, Matthew Kuhnemann, Josh Lalor, Brendon McCullum, James Peirson, Jack Prestwidge, Matt Renshaw, Alex Ross, Mitchell Swepson, Mujeeb Ur Rahman. Coach: Daniel Vettori

Every Test, ODI & T20I live, ad-break free during play and in 4K. Only on Foxtel. SIGN UP NOW!