Oakley is banking on Friday being ''third-time lucky'' to end a curse that has prevented him from making his debut for the Adelaide Strikers.

The Wests-UC skipper was set to play against the Hobart Hurricanes last week before rain forced the match to be abandoned.

Two years ago he was on the cusp of a contract, but an injury on the eve of the competition put his career on hold.

But after recharging in Canberra for Christmas, Oakley is ready to kick-start his Big Bash stint against the Sydney Thunder on Friday.

''Maybe it will be third-time lucky; I'm getting a little bit closer each time,'' Oakley said. ''Hopefully it will come at some point. I wasn't in the side originally [to play Hobart], so it was a bit of a roller-coaster. Then I was in the side and then it rained. It was a bit bittersweet, but it was just strategy and hopefully it comes.''

Oakley will join the Strikers in Sydney on Thursday in preparation to play the Thunder at ANZ Stadium. The left-arm opening bowler and his Strikers teammates were given a break from training duties to return home for Christmas before the game in Sydney.

Fellow ACT Comet Jono Dean is also hoping to make his debut against the Thunder. For Dean, the match offers a rare professional chance to square off against brother Blake, who made his debut for the Thunder last weekend.

Oakley, 31, has been working with former Test bowler Shaun Tait and rising star Kane Richardson to perfect his style for the Big Bash. ''You get to see how it works in a different environment. It's different than going from work to training in Canberra,'' Oakley said.

''There's much more of a deep thought process that goes into it and you see more a mental side of it in that environment. I've had a few conversations with [Tait]. He's played a lot of T20 cricket and he's got a lot of great ideas about how to go about things. I'm just trying to soak in as much as I can.''

The public service IT guru was inundated with messages of support when he was named to make his debut and he admits he is still coming to terms with the attention that comes with his rising profile.

''You've got to hand your phones in when you go into the change rooms and when I got it back, it was crazy with everything coming through,'' Oakley said.

''It's an experience. It's definitely different and odd not to do anything or play, and still have all those messages come through. It's nice to get the support but now I'd like to get out there and have a game.''

Oakley's family spent Christmas in Wagga while Blake and Jono Dean missed their brother's wedding because of Big Bash commitments.

''There are sacrifices for an opportunity, but there's no real choice … it's pretty easy because this is a once in a lifetime thing and you never know what's going to happen from here,'' Oakley said.