The Australian’s Australian of the Year: Scott Boland the nation’s new cult hero

After a blistering summer of Test cricket there are calls for Australian cult hero Scott Boland to get statue outside the MCG and get a stand named after him. But why stop there?

Scott Boland at the Sydney Cricket Ground after his six-wicket haul on Sunday. Picture: Getty Images

After a blistering summer of Test cricket there are calls for a statue of Australian cult hero Scott Boland to be erected outside the MCG, to have a stand named after him, and even to have that irresistible length on the pitch he repeatedly lands the ball on named after him (call it the Bolength, cricket writer Bharat Sundaresan argues).

But why stop there? Fast bowler Boland emerged as the hero of a gruelling Test series against India, he’s captured the hearts of Australians nationwide, and he is The Australian’s latest nominee for our Australian of the Year.

Going into the India series Boland had had a slow year. Left out of the squad against New Zealand and dealing with foot and knee issues, the 35-year-old was a common sight walking around Junction Oval in Melbourne with bandaging on his knee.

Speaking recently of that time in mid-2024, Boland told Fox Cricket he’d relished the chance to focus on getting himself right.

“I’ve enjoyed being at home for the past four months, being with the family has been really nice, and then add in quite a lot of training and doing some work with our young fast bowlers in Victoria. I’ve just been up to Darwin for a week with the bowling coach of the Melbourne Stars and that was great.”

Boland showed no signs of age or wear once brought into the squad against India; put simply, the three Tests he played were the three the Aussies won.

And he was instrumental in each victory. In the second Test at Adelaide Oval he took the much-needed wickets of Yashasvi Jaiswal and Virat Kohli to rekindle Australia’s Border-Gavaskar Trophy hopes, and at his MCG home he took six to wreck India.

In Sydney Boland had a game for the ages, taking 4/31 in the first innings and 6/45 in the second to secure player-of-the-match honours and Australia’s first Border-Gavaskar Trophy in a decade.

In 130 years Glenn McGrath is the only other Australian pace bowler to take 10 wickets in a Test at the SCG.

Speaking on the pitch after the SCG Test Boland said he wasn’t expecting to play much, let alone deliver such a standout performance.

“It’s been a really enjoyable couple of months, I probably didn’t expect to play too much of a part in this series. But I prepared as if I was going to, and the last few weeks have been awesome.

“There’s so many other good fast bowlers around the country. I was a little bit nervous but I just got my body right, put a lot of hours in at the gym and am really happy to be here now.”

To nominate the 2024 Australian of the Year, email [e-mail]. Please include your name and contact details (this information is collected solely for this award and will not be used for any other purpose). The winner will be announced on Saturday, January 25, 2025.