Queensland cricket coach Stuart Law provided an insight into the "challenges" that drive Joe Burns when he revealed the man set to become Australia's 441st Test player rejected a contract extension in order to put pressure on himself to score runs.
The 25-year-old, poised to replace Mitchell Marsh for the third Test against India when it starts in Melbourne on Boxing Day, stunned Law and other Queensland officials by putting runs before dollars. However, Law told Fairfax Media that attitude perhaps provided the greatest insight into the right-handed batsman.
"He's knocked back an extension with a contract just to say: 'I want to put myself under pressure to score runs', and that's refreshing in this day and age when players want their money up-front and before they actually achieve anything," Law said on Monday.
"That's a great thing and in modern day cricket – in the modern day sporting world – that's pretty rare. He loves to put himself under pressure, he's a great kid and matured a lot over the last 12 months and that maturity has created a new path for his cricket."
Law, who finished his one Test for Australia without an average because he scored an unconquered 54 against Sri Lanka in 1995, was also pleased the 25-year-old responded to the personal challenge he put to Burns before the season started.
"I asked Joey 'why keep averaging at 30 or 35 like a lot of players do? Why not average over 50, 55 and all of a sudden people start taking notice of you. I also said you've never got enough runs was the message drummed into me.
"Joe has taken that on board. He scored 183 against NSW [in Brisbane last month] and played beautifully off both the front and back foot and I think, right now, he needs a new challenge and this Test call-up has come at a great time for Joe."
Hours after being named in the Test squad Burns received a jolt back into reality during Sunday night's Big Bash League match for the Brisbane Heat when he was hit in the ribs while facing Sydney Thunders' Dirk Nannes during the Queensland team's 56-run defeat.
He nevertheless hit 28 runs from 23 deliveries and dismissed any suggestion that injury threatened to thwart his likely Test debut by telling the media: "I'm pretty sore, but I'll be right."
Queensland teammate Luke Feldman said Burns' psyche was runs flowed from following ritual and good habit.
"According to Joe he doesn't score runs, he just sticks to his process," Feldman said. "That's the secret to his success. I said to him 'go score some runs for us' and he said 'it's not about scoring runs, it's about process. He's a deep thinker. He's very good at the game and I believe he'll be very successful on Boxing Day."
Feldman and Law both believed Brisbane-born Burns, like fellow Queenslanders Matthew Hayden, Andrew Symonds and Jimmy Maher, would handle the worse any pitch could offer after conquering the Gabba's green strip. "It's not a great place to bat if you want to be judged purely on numbers," said Law. "You need to understand when the cloud cover comes in it's a different beast.
"The Test wicket everyone sees is prepared slightly different; there's a little bit more love and time put into them. The first-class wickets – Kevin Mitchell produces the best he can but sometimes it gets tampered with by the weather, and that's when the ball plays tricks. To average above 40 at the Gabba is a tremendous effort."
