‘Teenage sensation’ Jason Sangha reveals how NSW to SA switch saved his cricket career – and could lead to historic Sheffield Shield title
He was once touted as a teenage sensation with Test cricket in his future but Jason Sangha says his career nearly hit a dead end before he made a fateful decision.
SA Cricket
Don't miss out on the headlines from SA Cricket. Followed categories will be added to My News.
Jason Sangha has revealed being labelled a “teenage sensation’’ took its toll on him and that starting with a “blank canvas’’ in South Australia had reignited his career.
A key player in SA’s bid to this week win the Sheffield Shield for the first time in 29 years, Sangha has blossomed since moving to Adelaide this season, scoring 573 runs in five Shield matches at the superb average of 71.62, with two centuries and three fifties.
The classy batsman ranks 14th in the Shield run scorers list, with only star teammate Alex Carey (87.42) averaging more with the bat.
It is a far cry from the former Australia under-19s captain’s first-class record with his home state New South Wales, where he scored 1785 runs at 27.46 with four centuries from 39 matches before making the move to SA at the end of last season.
“The beauty about Australian sport is that whenever there is a teenage sensation we love to get around them,’’ said Sangha, 25, as he prepared for the Shield final against Queensland at Karen Rolton Oval, starting on Wednesday.
“If you look at someone like Sam Konstas (teenage Australian Test opener) at the moment, playing on the international stage, I probably had similar expectations on me when I was quite young and feel like I probably didn’t deal with it overly well.
“There are different ways of looking at it, that it could be a lot worse and people are saying negative things about me and not backing my skill set, but I probably went the other way and put a bit too much (pressure) on my shoulders.
“I wouldn’t say I wasn’t enjoying the game of cricket but I think I forgot the reason why I do play and that’s to have fun and enjoy it because I love the game and I rediscovered that a little bit more coming here.’’
Sangha, who was once touted as a future Australian Test player, lost his place in the NSW line-up in the second half of last season before being approached by SA.
“I felt my career was stalling at NSW at the time, I was out of the side and probably not going to get another opportunity to play there,’’ he said.
“I had the offer to come here and play for SA and liked the way the team had been developing over the past couple of years, along with the fact that were guys who had already made the move from NSW and been successful, including Nathan McAndrew, Ben Manenti, Henry Thornton and Henry Hunt.
“And when you feel you are really wanted at another place you sort of gravitate to that, so it was a pretty easy decision in the end and it’s been a great move for me.’’
Sangha didn’t start the season in SA’s Shield team – “I hadn’t made the sheer weight of runs in Second XI and club cricket that you need,’’ he said – but he hasn’t missed a beat since making a sensational SA first-class debut against Tasmania in Hobart in December, scoring 151 and 61 in a stunning player of the match performance.
Sangha enters the final in red-hot form, having scored 67 and an unbeaten 103 in the last Shield clash against Queensland at KRO last week.
Like the rest of his teammates, he is desperate to help SA break its 29-year Shield title drought while also helping the state to its first domestic double after it won the One-Day Cup earlier in the month.
“The support here has been fantastic,’’ Sangha said.
“The other day I was at my local pharmacy and the person behind the counter said good luck for the final, which is something you never get in Sydney.
“In the local coffee shops or wherever you go here there is a real buzz about South Australian cricket, which shows how much the community is behind us.
“The state is dying for some (Shield) success and it would mean a lot to our group to bring it back to SA.’’
More Coverage
Originally published as ‘Teenage sensation’ Jason Sangha reveals how NSW to SA switch saved his cricket career – and could lead to historic Sheffield Shield title
SA cricket superfan’s brave pitch for Shield history
He’s known as “Redback Jim’’ – and now this cricket superfan has vowed to get a victory tattoo if SA can beat Queensland and claim its first Sheffield Shield title in 29 years.
Sheffield Shield selection heartbreak looms for SA
SA coach Ryan Harris says there will be some heartbroken players – and “tough conversations’’ – as he finalises his team for next week’s Sheffield Shield final at Karen Rolton Oval.