Queensland High-Performance Boss Joe Dawes Resigns

Queensland and Brisbane Heat high-performance general manager Joe Dawes has resigned from his role, stepping down just over two years after taking charge and less than a year after a public dispute with Usman Khawaja.

Dawes, a former Queensland fast bowler who previously served as India’s bowling coach and head coach of Papua New Guinea, had been in the position since late 2023. Pathways manager Greg Moller will act as interim high-performance boss through the remainder of the season, while chief executive Terry Svenson assumes responsibility for list management until a permanent replacement is appointed.

His tenure proved turbulent. Dawes was part of the decision to part ways with long-time coach Wade Seccombe shortly after Brisbane Heat secured their second Big Bash League title in 2023-24.

He later became embroiled in controversy when he suggested that Khawaja had chosen not to play a Sheffield Shield match despite not being injured. Khawaja responded publicly, insisting he was managing a hamstring issue and describing Dawes’ remarks as “100% wrong.”

The resignation follows mixed on-field results. Brisbane Heat missed the BBL finals, and Queensland fell short of the One-Day Cup final, though the men’s side remains in contention for a second consecutive Sheffield Shield final. The women’s Heat endured a winless WBBL campaign, while Queensland’s women are still in the hunt for a WNCL final berth.

Coach Johan Botha and women’s coach Mark Sorell remain contracted through next season.

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