Who is Cooper Connolly: Australia’s Test squad bolter for Sri Lanka tour

Cooper Connolly has only played four first-class games, but those who know him best aren’t surprised at all at how quickly he has risen through the ranks, writes DANIEL CHERNY.

Cooper Connolly was just 19 when he burst into the national consciousness.

Smacking 25 from 11 balls, he played a key role in steering the Perth Scorchers to victory in the Big Bash League decider against the Brisbane Heat two summers ago.

He’d already captained Australia at the under-19 World Cup, rocking the blond shoulder-length hair Perth surfer boy look to a tee.

With Australian selectors looking to regenerate the national Twenty20 team after an early exit from June’s World Cup, Connolly was called up for the tour of the UK in September, playing two T20 internationals and then a one-dayer against England.

He played a second ODI against Pakistan in Perth in November, breaking his finger while batting.

But that didn’t hold him back come the start of the BBL, with Connolly leading the competition for runs this season as of Thursday while also picking up three wickets with his left-arm finger spin.

His red-ball record, though from a small sample professionally, is strong. In four first-class matches Connolly is averaging 61.80 with the bat including a debut 90 in the Sheffield Shield final for Western Australia last March.

WA has employed him as a part-timer and he does not have a first-class or international wicket to his name. But the 21-year-old clearly has attributes that national selectors rate highly, with his combination of leadership traits, left-armers and batting quality making him an intriguing proposition heading into what will be his maiden Test tour in Sri Lanka.

Cooper Connolly has impressed across a small sample of first-class games for WA. Picture: Will Russell/Getty Images

WA and Scorchers teammate Mahli Beardman – himself called up for the one-day leg of the UK tour last September, described Connolly as “one of the more chilled characters you’ll ever meet.”

“Very quiet, modest, pretends like he’s not that hard working, but is genuinely one of the hardest workers I’ve ever met, always hitting balls or always doing something in the nets or working on technical things or working with coaches,” Beardman said.

“Very modest about how he goes about it, and just puts his head down and works hard, doesn’t talk a lot, but still very cheeky at training,”

“Gets around the boys a lot. Is loved by the whole squad. And I think it’s no surprise to anyone that knows Coops how he’s progressed so quickly.

”It’s no shock to anyone that he’s climbing through the ranks at this rate at a young age, especially because he’s got one of the best work ethics and best attitudes of anyone I’ve seen. “Super inspirational bloke to have around the group, and obviously someone that I try to emulate.”

Beardman recalled one episode as a junior when Connolly stole the paceman’s glove and then asked Beardman why he didn’t have one, trying to get Beardman in trouble with coaches.

“He’s always a bit of a prankster. Always up to no good, whether it’s just cracking jokes with the boys or setting things. He’s always up to no good sending memes around or taking the mickey out of people but yeah, always comes from a good place.”

Originally published as Who is Cooper Connolly: Australia’s Test squad bolter for Sri Lanka tour