Queensland Bulls lose Cameron Gannon to Western Australia
Cameron Gannon, the Sheffield Shield’s leading wicket-taker last season, will take his late career form from Queensland to Western Australia, after being handed a solid three-year deal.
WA Cricket
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Late-blooming Queensland fast bowler Cameron Gannon is off to Perth next week to launch a new career from the isolation of self-quarantine.
Gannon, 30, the Sheffield Shield’s leading wicket-taker last season with 38 at 21, could not resist a solid three-year deal with Western Australia which should enable him to finish his unique career with a flourish.
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The lure of long term security was the clincher for a bowler whose tight lines and venomous outswinger, especially with the Dukes ball, made him a potent force last summer including an eight-wicket match haul against the team that signed him.
Gannon was scheduled to leave on Friday with wife Leah and children Henry and Nora but social distancing issues on plane flights forced them to reschedule for next week when they will go into lockdown in Perth.
“We have to do two weeks of self-quarantine in the house in Perth so we may not survive that,’’ Gannon quipped.
“Negotiating that with two kids that love getting outside and running around ... it’s going to be interesting’’.
Gannon sent an email to thank to Queensland Cricket staff for supporting him during his 30-first-class match, 10-year stint with the Bulls squad in which he fought back from once being banned for having an illegal action.
“When you are the wrong side of 30 you start to think about long term security,’’ Gannon said.
“I had seven or eight one-year deals on the bounce so three years is massive.
“I was not expecting the offer to be as good as it was. It is hard not to get emotional about leaving when you have been around the same group of guys for 10 years.
“Mike Neser and I used to play Second XI cricket together. It has been a long ride. I played under-19s with Joe Burns.
“If I could be selfish for a minute it kind of feels as if WA have given me the opportunity to finish my career on my terms, something that I don’t think could have happened in Queensland.
“They made it quite clear they wanted to push youth and that is fantastic because they have a lot of youth. It was the right decision for us. What an experience to be able to live in Western Australia for three years.’’
Originally published as Queensland Bulls lose Cameron Gannon to Western Australia