Former Brisbane Heat star Jack Wood swaps cricket bat for a microphone in Australian Idol bid

A former Brisbane Heat Big Bash league cricketer is trading cricket balls for country ballads, stepping onto the Australian Idol stage in pursuit of a music career.

Brisbane Heat player will show his musical side as he auditions for Australia Idol. Picture: Nigel Hallett

From the cricket pitch to the big stage, Brisbane cricketer Jack Wood is setting his sights on a new kind of competition — Australian Idol.

The 28-year-old, best known for his unorthodox bowling, is gearing up to showcase his musical chops when his audition airs on February 10.

Wood’s foray into music began after he lost his Queensland Bulls and Brisbane Heat contract in 2022.

“I decided to move to Adelaide for a crack down there. And I went to Darwin for the winter,” Wood told The Courier-Mail.

“I was a sparky previously, so I was dreading going back to that. So I thought I’d just pick up guitar.”

It turned out to be more than just a hobby.

A chance meeting with a booking agent in Darwin saw Wood thrown straight into the deep end of the live music scene.

“I sort of did five gigs a week straight off the bat there in Darwin and then moved to Adelaide and did the same. And it’s been a bit of a roller coaster since then,” he said.

Jack Wood in action for the Heat at the MCG. (Photo by Morgan Hancock/Getty Images)

Despite growing up in a non-musical family, Wood’s love for country music — something he shares with his brother — helped shape his sound.

“I grew up on a farm in Laidley, which is about an hour and a half west of Brisbane. Me and my brother both sort of loved country music from a young age. And that’s obviously getting so big now with the likes of [Luke] Combs and [Morgan] Wallen and all those guys,” he said.

In 2023, he took his passion a step further, releasing his debut single Smoking Gun, which he recorded in a share house.

“It’s not the best song in the world, but it’s out there, and it’s something,” he said.

But it was Australian Idol that pushed him to test himself in front of a national audience.

“I just certainly grew up watching Australian Idol and it gave me goosebumps watching people give their all up there and have some success,” he said.

Jack Wood says his love for country music has helped shape his sound. Photo Supplied Seven Network

Although he’s no stranger to playing in front of big crowds — having performed at the Gabba in front of 20,000 fans — Wood admitted the Idol audition tested his nerves.

“I played my original song at the Gabba in front of about 20,000 before a Brisbane Heat game. So I kind of felt like I was going to be fine,” he explained. “And then it was time to sing … and yeah, it was like dry mouth, shakes — the full kit and caboodle,” he said.

Wood’s cricket career isn’t taking a back seat just yet.

He re-signed with the Heat for the BBL 13 season and currently has white-ball tournaments lined up in Spain and the Cayman Islands in the coming months. But he’s serious about pursuing music alongside his sport.

“I want to get an EP out by the end of the year, touch wood,” he said.

Australian Idol airs Sunday to Tuesday on Channel 7 and 7plus.