CRICKET | I was lucky to be coached by Lillee: Beardman

A combined 20 international caps across formats. 224 encounters in a high-pressure environment like the IPL. Mahli Beardman made batters possessing this level of experience look silly with his pace during Australia A’s thumping win over India A in the first one-dayer.

The 21-year-old picked career-best figures of four for 23 using one simple tactic — steam in and bowl fast. He took the new ball for the visitors and by the time his first spell of 140 kmph projectiles was done, India A was already in a spot of bother.

Beardman first made his mark during the 2024 Under-19 World Cup. His searing pace was evident then, and he has only sharpened his tools since. A productive Big Bash League campaign earned him a T20I debut against Pakistan.

“We’ve got a rich history of fast bowling in Western Australia (WA), where I come from. I grew up watching Mitchell Johnson. I was lucky enough to be coached by Dennis Lillee. That’s something that has been passed down,” the speedster explained.

Spending time as a standby player in the Australian squad has helped Beardman pick the brains of Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood and Pat Cummins.

“I try and be as much of a sponge as possible and soak up as much knowledge as I can,” the youngster said. “They’ve been awesome from a technical aspect. Being so mature and having played so much cricket, they’ve got a really simple outlook on the game,” he explained.

With more such outings with the ball, it won’t be long before the 21-year-old reclaims a spot in the senior team.