Supporters could be forgiven for thinking the Australian cricket season has snuck up quickly with the Canberra Raiders still in the midst of an NRL premiership tilt.

But while Lyon and Carters have been keeping a watchful eye on their beloved Green Machine, NSW's first domestic one-day game on October 7 has been a long-time coming.

The duo will have to wait a little longer than the rest with Canberra-born all-rounder Jason Floros to lead Queensland in the tournament opener against the Cricket Australia XI on October 1.

With regular Queensland captain Usman Khawaja away with the national team, Floros, 25, will take the Bulls' reins for the first time.

Lyon, Australia's greatest Test off-spinner, will use the domestic competition as a platform to launch himself back into the national one-day squad after missing the South Africa tour.

A recall to the national limited-overs side could see Lyon return to Manuka Oval – the ground he famously worked at as a groundskeeper – to play New Zealand on December 6.

"It's going to be an exciting time of the year for New South Wales and to be a part of that is going to be good fun," Lyon said.

"It's always good to go back to Manuka, I've obviously got a close connection with the ground – everyone knows that.

"It's a great place to play cricket and there should probably be more cricket played down there."

Carters, a Radford College product, is itching to get out in the middle having put in the biggest pre-season of his six-year first-class career.

"We've been training since June, so I think we're ready," Carters said.

"I've done plenty of preparation over the off-season ... obviously a lot of things come into cricket – selection, availability, injury, luck, as well as your own performance – but all you can do is give it everything you've got."

The Blues will be without four of last season's final-winning XI with Steve Smith on national duty, Mitchell Starc and Sean Abbott nursing injuries and Josh Hazlewood being rested.

The tournament kicks off a bumper summer of cricket in the nation's capital, to be capped off by February's Prime Minister's XI Twenty20 fixture against Sri Lanka.

Carters played in the game last year and said given the opportunity he would "love to do it again".

"I'm sure Manuka Oval will be packed as it is usually, and everyone will be especially excited for the T20. I'm sure they'll pick some of the in-form young players from the BBL."

NSW squad: Moises Henriques (c), Doug Bollinger, Ryan Carters, Harry Conway, Ed Cowan, Ben Dwarshuis, Chris Green, Daniel Hughes, Nathan Lyon, Nic Maddinson, Peter Nevill, Steve O'Keefe, Kurtis Patterson, Gurinder Sandhu