English dynamo enters debut Big Bash campaign with target on back as No. 1 Twenty20 batsman

Already facing expectations to perform as an overseas import, Englishman Dawid Malan must also deal with being ranked as T20 cricket’s top ranked batsman for the Hobart Hurricanes

• Faulkner hamstring injury “not significant”
• Malan to enter Big Bash in brutal form

CARRYING the tag as the No. 1 ranked T20 batsman in the world is a pressure Dawid Malan will try to embrace in his maiden voyage into the Big Bash League.

The English dynamo made his much anticipated BBL debut for the Hurricanes in Sunday night’s loss to the Brisbane Heat, scoring 15 from 16 balls in his first competitive match since scoring an unbeaten 99 against South Africa on December 1.

Having earned player of the series honours against the Proteas, Malan also set a new benchmark for T20 batting, recording the highest ever rating (915) on the official International Cricket Council ratings.

It ensures he will embark on his Hurricanes stint with a firm target on his back — but the left-handed dynamo is desperate to not feel the burden of expectations both on his ranking and as an overseas import.

“It’s the first time I’ve walked out to bat and the announcer [said] ‘the number one T20 batsman in the world’,” Malan said ahead of the rematch against the Heat on Wednesday night.

Dawid Malan of the Hurricanes plays a shot during the Big Bash League match between the Brisbane Heat and the Hobart Hurricanes at The Gabba, on December 27, 2020, in Brisbane, Australia. (Photo by Bradley Kanaris/Getty Images)

“I was like ‘come on. I don’t need that just before I’m making my debut as well.’

“That means more pressure popped on me, coming over as an overseas player you know the pressure’s always on you either way, that’s the beauty of playing in these tournaments.

“It’s a fantastic learning curve to be able to have to deal with that pressure.

“But when it comes to that number one tag, I’m trying to sort of embrace it when it needs to be embraced, but trying to put it in the back of your mind, especially when it comes to game days and things like that.

“At the end of the day you don’t get judged on what you’ve done in the past, you get judged on what you’re doing out there at the time.”

Malan said the wheels to join Hobart were put in motion at the end of BBL|09 when the franchise was searching for a replacement for South African David Miller, only for international commitments to shut down talks.

However the Hurricanes remained in contact and a deal was struck in April to lock the 33-year-old away for this summer.

Dawid Malan of the Hurricanes celebrates with teammates after taking the catch to dismiss Sam Heazlett of the Heat during the Big Bash League match between the Brisbane Heat and the Hobart Hurricanes at The Gabba, on December 27, 2020, in Brisbane, Australia. (Photo by Bradley Kanaris/Getty Images)

“It’s an attractive tournament that you want to play with and you want to be part of,” he said.

“It’s exciting to be here, it’s exciting to play in a tournament I’ve watched for the last 10 years or so … to now be part of it and to experience it is something I’ve wanted to do for a while.

“Obviously I’ve not had the opportunity but it’s an exciting time for me.”

Follow @ajsmiddy