The Perth Scorchers have confirmed big-hitting Australian Under-19’s batsman Jaron Morgan and Indigenous fast bowler Hayden Collard as their Rookies for the 2013-14 KFC T20 Big Bash League.
Perth Scorchers (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Morgan, 18, signs on as the Perth Scorchers’ Development Rookie and is one of WA’s most exciting young cricketers. The Joondalup youngster has a reputation as a hard-hitting wicketkeeper-batsman and is in line to be part of Australia’s squad for next year’s ICC U19 World Cup.
The teenager has already impressed Perth Scorchers coach Justin Langer with a century for WA in the Toyota Futures League in October leading to his inclusion in the Western Warriors’ squad for the away trip to Victoria in the Bupa Sheffield Shield.
Collard, 21, will be the Perth Scorchers’ Community Rookie and is an Indigenous right-arm fast-medium bowler from Dowerin, two hours east of Perth, who was selected in the team of the tournament, the Black Caps, at the 2013 Imparja Cup.
The Wheatbelt product gave up a promising Aussie Rules career, which saw him be part of the 2008 Flying Boomerangs squad that travelled to South Africa, before focusing on cricket after a shoulder reconstruction.
Perth Scorchers Talent Manager Brett Jones said: “Jaron is someone who we have an eye to playing in the future. He has been successful this year with breakthrough centuries at First Grade level and in the Toyota Futures League.
“He’s an attacking batsman, with plenty of shots in his repertoire and he’s good in the field too.”
On Collard, Jones added: “Hayden is representative of a big pool of talent available in the country. He impressed at the Imparja Cup and is an athletic and talented cricketer with a good character.”
Morgan has spent the past week captaining WA’s U19 squad at the National Championships in Hobart, where he made 62 off 63 balls against Queensland on Monday.
“I’m extremely excited,” Morgan said about the Rookie opportunity. “I’ve been involved with the WA squad but this still took me by surprise and gives me something to look forward to.
“My experience away with the Warriors was a massive learning curve on the standards required at the top level and I’d expect the Big Bash season to bring more lessons like that.”
He added that he would love to model his game on Scorchers’ opener Shaun Marsh, while he revealed his childhood hero was Scorchers number one ticket-holder and ex-WA wicketkeeper-batsman Adam Gilchrist.
Wongan Hills-born Collard revealed he had never played at The Furnace nor alongside some of the big names in the Scorchers squad but said he was excited about the prospect.
“I always wanted to play with the likes of Simon Katich, Shaun Marsh and Adam Voges,” Collard said.
“Not many people get the chance to do it. It’s going to be a big challenge but that’s what it’s all about.”
The talented Collard turned his back on a promising Aussie Rules in his late teens after a shoulder reconstruction, having been part of the Flying Boomerangs and Perth Demons Colts set-ups.
Collard has spent the past few years developing his skills as a cricketer in the Wheatbelt, before success at the Imparja Cup and Senior Country Week in 2013 and said he’d look to use his rookie opportunity to continue to develop his game.
“It’s a great way to learn off people to improve my game,” Collard said. “Anything that helps me become a better player is really good for me.”
The pair will join the Perth Scorchers for the duration of the KFC T20 Big Bash League, and while they won’t be part of the 18-man squad, they can be added as a replacement player in the event of an injury.
The new Rookie contracts are part of a wider plan to provide opportunities to players who might not otherwise be identified as one of Australian cricket’s pathway programs, with all teams signing two players.
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