Axed Australian Test stars Joe Burns and Mitch Marsh would have planned on being under lights facing South Africa this weekend with a pink ball.
Instead, they will find themselves at Tony Ireland Stadium in Townsville for a near-bottom-of-the-table Sheffield Shield clash from Saturday as they desperately try to make a point to Australian selectors.
Marsh hasn't played for Western Australia since being dropped from the national side ahead of the Hobart Test, while Burns' 18 runs in his past six first-class or Test innings resulted in him being left out of the team for Adelaide.
But Queensland captain Chris Hartley expects Burns to respond in a big way in Townsville.
"It's such a fickle thing some times," Hartley said.
"We played a lot of cricket in the last couple of weeks and it was only a couple of weeks ago he batted amazingly well for a hundred against a Test-strength NSW.
"He's hitting them well at training and players like that don't stay quiet for too long and I expect him to put on a really good show this week."
However, he hoped the same determination wouldn't drive Marsh in the fourth-round clash, even finding time to point out his recent woes.
"He's looking to press his claims to show Australian cricket the player he can be," Hartley said of Marsh.
"I think everyone is aware of how talented he is but it's about bridging that gap and turning that into performances.
"Our job this week will be to make sure his run at the moment continues to be a bit quieter."
The Warriors will be without their other Test stars, with Adam Voges still recovering from a concussion and Shaun Marsh yet to return from a broken thumb.
Queensland and Western Australia sit fourth and sixth on the table respectively, with the Warriors yet to claim a win.
The Bulls were last-start victors against South Australia - their first four-day triumph of the season after reaching the one-day final last month.
