Australian cricket fans should get used to the name Mahli Beardman: The 20-year-old Perth bowler could well be the next quick mainstay in our country’s Test side, with how quickly he’s bursting onto the scene.
Beardman will get his first chance to prove himself on the international stage on Sunday, when he replaces seamer Josh Hazlewood for the remainder of the ongoing T20 series against India. He joined the national squad this week, after fielding a call from chief selector George Bailey right as he was preparing to front media for the Scorchers.
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The 20-year-old will certainly draw attention on Sunday for one standout: His bowling speed already clocks 148km/h on the speed gun, and he laughs that he’s “chasing that 150 mark” in all his training right now.
“Not quite there yet, still got a little way to go,” the young gun said on Monday.
It’s not all he’s chasing, either — the kid wants to play in cricket’s “ultimate” format as soon as possible.
“Red ball would definitely be the dream; a baggy green is what I have dreamt of,” he said.
“So I think at the moment I will try to perform… do the best I can, run in hard and push the gun and take wickets. Putting a baggy green on my head would be the ultimate, but it’s still very early doors, there’s still a lot of state cricket, grade cricket before that opportunity arises.”
And even before all those state and grade campaigns, Beardman has the chance to announce himself on a global stage in the back end of this Twenty20 series against India, where Australia and India are tied 1–1 after two.
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“I am super hungry to play as much cricket as I can, especially if I can try and announce myself on the international stage,” Beardman said of being called in midway through the five-rubber contest this week. “Similar to the ODI series, I am just going to try and soak up as much as I can (because) there’s still a lot of experience in that group.
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“I just went [into the ODI squad last year] and tried to be as much of a sponge as I could be and soak up as much info, asking as many questions as I could without being annoying,” the youngster explained.
“I did a lot of watching, I think it was amazing to be able to stand behind ‘Starcy’ [Mitchell Starc] at training and see how he goes about it. How he uses the crease, how he’s holding the ball, his thinking and field settings.
Most importantly, Beardman said, he’s trying to learn from “all of those things you don’t get to see on TV.”
Whether he plays is still up in the air, though, with Andrew McDonald cautioning that he’s still “a work in progress.” “He’s a competitor, he’s got the skill, I’d back him to be able to do that on the high stage,” McDonald declared heading into the third clash.
“He’s played in front of big crowds now. He’s played in pressure situations.
“It’ll be a really good experience for him, if he does get a chance.”
