Four of the world's best cricketers including in-form Ashes-winning England fast bowler Stuart Broad will begin their 2016 cricket season on the Sunshine Coast this season.
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Cricket Australia on Monday confirmed Broad, big-hitting former Kiwi captain Brendan McCullum, Sri Lankan batting legend Kumar Sangakkara and and rising West Indies quick Samuel Badree would play in pre-season games for the Big Bash league on the Sunshine Coast.
Australia's top cricket body said Brisbane Heat would play two pre-season games at Buderim's Elizabeth Daniels Park in December against the Hobart Hurricanes.
Broad, also an aggressive big hitter, is the newest big name signed by the Hobart Hurricanes for the 2016-17 season.
Broad is in top form after routing Australia for 60 at Trent Bridge and taking 8-15 in 2015 as England took the five-test Ashes series 3-2.
His Trent Bridge bowling was the best bowling performance by any bowler in an Ashes series.
McCullum is back for the Brisbane Heat in 2016-17, which will also feature former Kiwi spin champion Daniel Vettori and the West Indian emerging leg spinner, Samuel Badree.
Badree, 35, is the world's top-ranked T20 bowler and was in Australia last year as an advisor to Australian's emerging spin talent.
The Heat's 2016 line up also includes big hitting Queenslanders Chris Lynn, Joe Burns and quick bowler Ben Cutting.
"The Hurricanes will again have Sri Lankan superstar Kumar Sangakkara along with Australian representatives George Bailey and Tim Paine," Sunshine Coast mayor Mark Jamieson said on Monday.
Cr Jamieson said the social media profile of the cricketers was a bonus for the Sunshine Coast.
"The Brisbane Heat is the eighth largest sporting brand on Australian social media with well over half a million followers across Facebook and Twitter alone," he said.
"So having them come to the Sunshine Coast for a Big Bash pre-season camp and two practice matches against the Hobart Hurricanes, who also have more than 400,000 followers on Facebook and Twitter, will provide enormous potential exposure for our region."
The two free Big Bash practice matches will be played on December 16 and 17 at Elizabeth Daniels Park at Buderim.
The Sunshine Coast will also host the national under 17s cricket championships in September 2016 and 2017.
Ten teams from around Australia will compete at the Elizabeth Daniels Sports Field.
