James Faulkner

Having started off as a left-arm chinaman bowler, James Faulkner took the standard route through the grind of grade-level cricket and developed into a cunning young fast bowler in domestic cricket, having integrated his control of art of wrist-spin and integrated it into his fast bowling repertoire. He swiftly earned himself a spot in the Australian Cricket Academy’s development squad for his stellar performances and growth at the junior level. After earning a rookie contract in the 2007/08 season for Tasmania, he continued his stunning growth through the ranks, and was selected in the 2008 squad for the U19 World Cup, before he had even turned 18.

He was handed his Shield debut in the 2008/09 season, and delivered his first breakout performance in the 2010/11 season, where he showcased his all-round skills, scoring 300 runs at an average of 30, and claiming 36 scalps at 17.72. Furthermore, he contributed handsomely to drive Tasmania to victory in the final by taking 4 wickets and scoring a useful 71 in the first innings to ensure that Tasmania gain a first-innings lead.

Faulkner lifted the Sheffield Shield with his Tasmania teammates, while the Australian side was in India in pursuit of their World Cup title defence. Little did he know, that exactly 4 years and 8 days later, he’d be the man who brought the World Cup back home…

Faulkner received his first international call-up for the T20 against India in February 2012. Due to the lack of T20Is around the calendar year, Faulkner didn’t quite cement his spot after his T20I debut, and wouldn’t make it to the squad that toured Sri Lanka for the ICC World T20 in 2012. The left-arm quick persevered and continued to perform in Shield cricket, picking up 39 wickets at 20.33 in the 2012/13 Shield Season, including 3 five-wicket hauls. He further reinforced his all-round credentials with 444 runs at an average of 34.15.

On this occasion, however, Faulkner really brought out his A-game and showed the selectors why he deserved a spot in the ODI side - temperament and composure. In the crucial final against Queensland, he grabbed headlines by delivering a man of the match performance. He claimed 4 wickets across the two innings, but scored a crucial 89 in the second innings that changed the game. Having conceded a 194-run first innings lead, the Queensland bowlers came out all guns blazing, reducing Tasmania to 15-5. Faulkner came in at 56-6, with Tasmania’s lead still at a chase-able 260, and composed a calm and fluent 89, to set Queensland a target of 446 and essentially win Tasmania the title. As a result of his prolific run, he has the distinction of having own three consecutive Ricky Ponting medals for being the best domestic player in the Tasmania circuit.

At this point, the precocious talent of James Faulkner could no longer be ignored, and he was well and truly (albeit metaphorically) knocking on the selectors’ doors. He was handed his ODI debut in February 2013, and delivered some consistent performances with the ball, as batsmen were struggling to pick his wide range of variations at the death. He established himself as a crucial part of the side throughout 2013 with some game-changing performances with the bat, laced with composure beyond his years.

His 64 off 29 at Mohali, where he caned Ishant Sharma for 30 in the penultimate over to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat, was a stunning example of his capabilities with the willow. Furthermore, in the series decider in Bangalore, Faulkner gave India a mighty scare, threatening to chase down a mammoth 384 set by India, with the fastest hundred (at the time) in ODIs by an Australian. He reinforced his reputation as the finisher, (originally assigned to one MS Dhoni of India) when he hit Tim Bresnan for three consecutive boundaries to pull off what seemed like an improbable heist at the Gabba.

In Australia’s Ashes campaign in 2013, Faulkner was called upon for the fifth Test, after Australia had already conceded the series. According to the then-captain Michael Clarke, Faulkner would “provide some toughness that Australia might have lacked in the previous Tests”. Faulkner responded in kind with 6 wickets in the drawn match at the Oval, and an impressive 25 low down the order. However, surprisingly, that remains Faulkner’s only Test match till date.

Faulkner’s consistent all-round performances made him an indispensable member of the ODI XI. His consistency culminated in a match-turning spell of 3/36 in the 2015 World Cup final, in which he dismissed Corey Anderson, top-scorer Grant Elliott and Ross Taylor, to dismantle the middle-order and demolished any possibility of a Kiwi fightback. The decisive spell earned him the coveted man of the match award in the World Cup final of 2015. He engraved his name in the history books and found himself in the elite company of Sir Viv Richards, Ricky Ponting, Shane Warne, and Adam Gilchrist, who had previously achieved this high-desired accolade. Faulkner continues to be an important part of the Australian limited overs team, playing the role of a bowling all-rounder and finisher. In August 2016, he took a hat-trick in an ODI against Sri Lanka, becoming the 6th Australian to achieve the feat, adding another feather to his already-decorated hat.

Unsurprisingly, the southpaw has been a valuable player for T20 leagues around the world. He has played for several IPL franchises over the years, and has performed admirably well, currently residing with the Gujarat Lions. Faulkner has been a crucial part of the Melbourne Stars franchise in the Big Bash League as well, picking up 38 wickets and scoring 389 runs over 36 matches. He has maintained a miserly economy rate of 7.55 in the process, and remains one of the first entries on the team-sheet for the Stars.

Having achieved a multitude of accolades at a meager age of 27, Faulkner has proved himself worthy of the highest-level in terms of ability as well as temperament. He still has almost a decade of cricket left in him, and he has shown no signs of regress. If his career graph, in terms of numbers and intensity, continues its upward tendency, then Faulkner is en route to become one of the modern greats - even all-time greats - of Australian cricket.

By Rishi Roy

As of December 2017