Young Tassie spinner chases Baggy Green dream after MRF Academy Pathway tour

Tasmania’s ambidextrous spinner has been named to head to his home town of Chennai for a tour which he will use to push his credentials as he chases a Baggy Green. Here’s how he can do it.

Two of Tasmania’s best up and coming cricketers will head to the subcontinent as part of the MRF Academy with some of the best cricketers from around Australia and the world.

Spinners Niv Radhakrishnan and Rafael MacMillan will join a 12-man squad along with several coaches from Australian domestic formats for a 13-day program in Chennai.

The program gives the next wave of cricketers the opportunity to rub shoulders with some of the best coaches to help develop their all round game.

Radhakrishnan hopes to one day don the Baggy Green and believes the camp can help him become a leader of the Australian cricket team.

Nivethan Radhakrishnan will look to use the MRF Academy selection in a way to push for a Baggy Green selection. (Photo by Mark Brake/Getty Images)

“I would actually love to go there and understand what it means to play in Chennai, for Australian cricketers, batters especially, every time we are on a tour to the subcontinent it is extremely challenging,” Radhakrishnan said.

“If I am performing well enough to wear the Baggy Green, if my first tour is out there in Chennai or those types of conditions, then I know I have got some experience there.

“I remember that training camp I went on, I remember the conversations I had and just how tough or how easy (it is) from all the knowledge I gained.

“This at this point of our season it’s really important to have that switch, we are all competitive in season and as soon as you are in a game situation you are going for glory.

“In those moments you don’t really think about the finer technical aspects because all you are worried about is competing, where my focus now will be upskilling with the overarching mindset will be probably okay to make a few mistakes and get out of our comfort zones and explore a few different things, new things and have those sorts of conversations.”

Radhakrishnan said it was a bit of a shock to have the opportunity to go.

Wright: How I can help Hurricanes BBL defence

Mac Wright believes he has the right game to help the Hobart Hurricanes defend their BBL title.

The 27-year-old missed out on last year’s championship as he recovered from an ACL injury.

But Wright showed plenty of promise in his return to the middle order at the Global Super League including a half-century in the first game.

He believes his game style can help build success with the big hitters around him.

“It was nice to spend a bit of time out there in those conditions,” Wright said.

“Batting with Ben McDermott, he is awesome to bat with, because he takes the pressure off me at the other end.

“Similar to a role that I have played in the past is staying busy, getting someone like him on strike and letting him do his thing.

“It is going to be tough, having watched on from the sidelines last year, seeing how well they did, it is such an established line up and it is going to be hard to crack into.

“I think something that I have on my side is my skillet and my game plan is a little bit different to a lot of those guys, we have some big power hitters and what I bring to the table is a more precise, skilful player that keeps the whole ground in play.

Mac Wright will look to help build a title defence for the Hobart Hurricanes after missing out on the championship last season. (Photo by Steve Bell/Getty Images)

“I am not one who is just going to stand there and swing from the hip and try and hit bombs, I am going to try and keep the whole ground open. I think that can be my way into the team.”

Wright said the experience of playing in the GSL will help his side push for another BBL title.

“I think it is a really good idea, drawing teams from around the world into one competition,” Wright said.

“I grew up watching the Champions League and seeing the best teams from around the world is really exciting, it produces great cricket and there were some fantastic names that were there at the tournament.

“I think us coming from Australian conditions found it quite challenging and adjusting to that whereas some of those guys that play in that condition, year round, they thrived which was a great challenge for us.

“There were some pretty big names floating around, guys who do the T20 circuit year round, for a lot of the Hobart guys, we train all three formats and we have to sort of have a game that can mould to the formats we come up against.

“It definitely speaks to the guys that do that year round, you can really tell, the game plans are just so clear, they train their strengths and they execute it when the pressure is on and that was cool to watch and I definitely learned a lot seeing those guys up close.”

Originally published as Young Tassie spinner chases Baggy Green dream after MRF Academy Pathway tour