NEW DELHI: Despite numerous setbacks, including a freak leg injury that derailed Australia pacer Jason Behredorff's IPL 2024 campaign and World Cup hopes, the 34-year-old remains optimistic and determined for a comeback.
The left-arm pacer’s recent journey in 2024 has been nothing short of eventful. In March, just days before he was to board a flight to India for the IPL, a freak injury at the WACA nets shattered his fibula. The injury couldn’t have come at a worse time, especially as Behrendorff was in prime form and being touted as a contender for Australia’s T20 World Cup squad.
But for Behrendorff, success isn't measured by the Baggy Green, but by the impact he's made in the game. "I’ve played two formats for Australia, I’ve played professionally for the best part of 15 years. Everyone’s view of success is different, " he told cricket.com.au.
The injury not only sidelined him from the IPL, where he had signed a lucrative Rs 75 lakh contract with the Mumbai Indians, but also dashed his hopes of representing Australia in the World Cup.
"It was probably the most angry and the most frustrated I’ve been after an injury, because it was so freakish. "It literally hit me flush and snapped my fibula, " Behrendorff said, reflecting on the incident.
It was a crushing blow for the reigning Australian T20I cricketer of the year, who had hoped to use the IPL as a platform to prove his worth for the national squad.
"The feedback leading into the IPL was basically all the main bowlers in contention for that World Cup squad were playing in the IPL, " he said.
But in true Behrendorff fashion, the pacer decided to take control of his future. He opted out of the final year of his state contract with Western Australia, informing high-performance boss Kade Harvey and coach Adam Voges of his decision to pursue freelance opportunities in global T20 leagues. Overnight, he went from representing Australia, WA, and Mumbai Indians to being an uncontracted freelancer.
"So that was a great chance to play well, put yourself in with a chance, and for me it was a case of, 'Well, I've got nothing to lose. I know I'm not one of the top three to be included in the squad. There was myself and realistically you're looking at Nathan Ellis, Sean Abbott, Spencer Johnson – it was probably the four of us competing for the one or potentially two spots left.
"I was hopeful that I was going to get a chance and playing well in the IPL was a definitely a ticket to do that."
Despite the uncertainty, Behrendorff's return to cricket has been nothing short of spectacular. His first assignment, in Sri Lanka's Lanka Premier League, saw him lift the trophy with Jaffna Kings. Just days later, he was helping the Toronto Nationals win the Global T20 Canada title, earning player-of-the-match honours with a remarkable 3-8 figures in the final.
"I’ve started my freelance campaign two wins from two tournaments, " Behrendorff quipped. "If you want to win, pick me up!"
"The pinnacle of what young kids dream about is wanting to wear the Baggy Green, " Behrendorff acknowledged. "But just because I haven’t played Test cricket, does that mean I haven’t had a successful career? I certainly don’t think so."
Behrendorff’s red-ball career, which saw him take 126 first-class wickets at an impressive average of 23.85 but his T20 journey is far from over. As T20 leagues continue to offer lucrative opportunities, Behrendorff believes more players will follow in his footsteps, choosing to forgo state contracts in favour of the global T20 circuit.
"I think there will be cases of players giving up state deals going forward, especially with the way T20 cricket is shaping the game, " he said.