Charlie Wakim earns Hobart Hurricanes contract following career-best domestic summer for Tasmania

The Hobart Hurricanes newest signing has given his thoughts on how the BBL franchise can turn around its fortunes and win some illusive silverware.

Tasmanian Tigers batter Charlie Wakim has signed a one-year deal with the Hobart Hurricanes following a career-best season. (Photo by Will Russell/Getty Images)

Fresh off the best summer of his domestic career, new Hobart Hurricanes signing Charlie Wakim says he’s under no illusions he will need to continue to score runs to lock down a spot in purple.

Wakim was announced as one of the Hurricanes new signings back in April with the top order batter fronting media for the first time in his new colours on Monday.

The 32 year-old played a number of matches for the Brisbane Heat last summer but his outstanding form for Tasmania across both the Sheffield Shield and March Cup competitions has seen his adopted home state snatch his services for BBL14.

Wakim was second to only Tigers teammate Beau Webster for runs scored by a Tasmanian player in 2023-24. (Photo by Steve Bell/Getty Images)

After scoring a combined 903 runs across both formats last season, Wakim will head into both the domestic and franchise formats with much more expectation but it’s a something he is fully aware of.

“I’m under no illusions. I need to keep scoring runs and, you know, I want to contribute to winning games for our team and putting ourselves in a position to not only get to a final but win it,” Wakim said.

With the Hurricanes only one of two BBL franchises yet to taste the ultimate success, Wakim said gaining momentum early in the tournament was something he believed could change their fortunes.

“We have a really good list on paper. We haven’t done as well as we would have liked in the last couple of years. So that’s a big focus for us,” he said.

“You’ve just got to find that little moment in a game that clicks and if we can get that early on in a season and ride that momentum in a short tournament, those are big things for stringing wins together and obviously peaking at the right time so hopefully we do that this year.”