Unknown WA teen gets Aussie call-up
Teenage West Australian fast bowler Mahli Beardman says it’s a bit “surreal” after being called up as a standby player for Australia’s whirlwind five-match ODI series in England.
Beardman, 19, was player of the match in this year’s Under-19 World Cup final triumph over India and will join the 17-player group in Nottingham with the Australian pace stocks due to injury and management.
Left-armer Ben Dwarshuis also joined the squad ahead of the washed-out third T20 in Manchester and will now stay on for the 50-over series, with five matches being played over just 11 days, the first game on Thursday (9.30pm AEST) at Trent Bridge.
Beardman joins fellow WA young gun Cooper Connolly, who made his T20 international debut against Scotland and featured in the second T20 against England, in the ODI squad after he was asked to stay, having initially only been named for the T20s.
The Australians have been boosted by Steve Smith, Glenn Maxwell, Mitchell Starc, Marnus Labuschagne and Alex Carey returning for the 50-over matches.
But the bowling stocks have lost Nathan Ellis to a hamstring injury prior to the Scotland series, Riley Meredith after experiencing side soreness and Xavier Bartlett was also ruled out of the tour after sustaining a side strain in the series opener at Southampton.
Pat Cummins is missing from the month-long white-ball tour, Starc has only joined the group this week after sitting out the T20s and Josh Hazlewood is also being carefully managed following a calf complaint before he joined the squad after the Scotland series.
Left-armer Spencer Johnson also went down with a side strain after initially being named in the T20 squad.
Beardman is only on standby but his call-up marks a rapid rise for the teenager, who has so far played just one List A game for WA but is capable of bowling above 140km/h. He took 3-15 to help Australia under-19s down India in the World Cup final in February.
“It’s pretty surreal, just so unexpected,” Beardman told cricket.com after his call up.
“I started the morning off with a little message from Tony (Dodemaide); I didn’t think it was real to be honest, I thought it might have been one of the boys pranking me.
“But I gave him a call back and got talking and he said come over to England to train and be around the squad.”
The bowling duties in the series are likely to be spread between Starc, Hazlewood, Dwarshuis and Sean Abbott, with all-rounders Cameron Green, Aaron Hardie and captain Mitch Marsh to provide support.
“There will be opportunities for guys throughout the series, no doubt,” Marsh said after the final T20.
“Five games in 11 days, we’ll have to juggle a bit, but guys will get opportunities and a lot like the T20 series, we’re really excited by that.”
