Junior Sunshine Coast sports star Malakai Pearce enjoying on and off field success with Cooper Cricket

What started as a ‘side hustle’ in his family garage has now landed a Sunshine Coast cricket talent the opportunity to work alongside a BBL star as he helps shape the next generation of superstars.

Brisbane Heat player Josh Brown and Sunshine Coast cricket talent Malakai Pearce in the Cooper Cricket workshop.

He’s the Sunshine Coast cricket talent that is making representative teams on the pitch while also carving out his teammates bats off it.

Sunshine Coast Scorchers Lord’s Taverners and Glasshouse Districts cricket star Malakai Pearce has been working alongside Brisbane Heat star Josh Brown for the past 10 months in his apprenticeship role with Cooper Cricket.

The 15-year-old, who now makes, repairs, cleans and re-shapes cricket bats, first fell in love with the trade when he began repairing bats for his mates out of his family garage.

“I was just doing it as a bit of a side hustle but I really enjoyed it so my mum wanted to try and organise a bat making experience for me as a Christmas gift,” Pearce said.

Cooper Cricket owner Rod Grey, who launched the company in 2010, said after a few hurdles he was happy to welcome a fresh set of hands.

“Due to some legal and workplace safety things we couldn’t make the gift happen but after some back and forth we eventually landed on a work experience situation,” he said.

“That was around the same time that Josh’s performances in BBL12 realistically changed our business and that influx of customers really started to take off.

“We were still a very small team so I said as a bit of a joke or as a throwaway comment if Malakai wanted a job and he absolutely jumped at the opportunity.”

Pearce, who is a former Unity College student, is now homeschooled and began his signwriting apprenticeship (majoring in batmaking) in February 2023.

He currently works three days a week but was hoping to go full time in 2024.

“Sometimes you think ‘oh cricket’s finished’ after your games on the weekend but then I get to go into work where it’s all about cricket again and I can never get enough of it,” he said.

“I obviously enjoy the hands-on craftsmanship but the coolest thing is probably the high-profile players you get to meet as well,” he said.

“It’s very cool to see Josh’s success, he’s like a good mate now and it’s cool how humble he is about it all because I can talk to him like a person as opposed to a famous cricketer.”

Josh Brown in action for the Brisbane Heat and Malakai Pearce in his Sunshine Coast Scorchers colours.

Grey said he was proud of how far Pearce had come.

“He’s an amazing worker, is super mature, picks things up really quickly, is responsible in the shop so he’s honestly everything you want from a young man and a staff member and I’m saying that without blowing wind up his a**,” he said.

“He’s very fortunate too in the way that he loves what he’s doing and his trade isn’t a common one.

“He’s very good at what he does and he’s got a really bright future if he sticks with it.”

Pearce was also recently selected in the Queensland schoolboys under 15s cricket side after his performances for the Sunshine Coast regional team.