Cricket Tasmania General Manager of High Performance Salliann Beams joined Brent do discuss everything happening with the Hurricanes and Tigers' programs.
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SEN Tassie
Cricket Tasmania General Manager of High Performance Salliann Beams (15/07/24)
Auto insurance can all seem the same, until it comes time to use it, so don't get stuck paying more for less coverage. Switch to USA Auto insurance and you could start saving money in no time. Get a quote today. Restrictions apply. Breakfast with Tim Payne and Brent Costello. Time to be joined by my next guest here on S.E. and Tazzy Breakfast this morning. It is the hot performance boss at Cricket Tasmania, Sally Ann Booms. Welcome back to the show, Sal. Good morning, Brent. How are you going? Good. I don't have Tim here this morning, you'd be pleased to know. So nothing from him. He's on his way back from the UK, from the hit and giggle compo. Did you catch any of him and the Aussies play? I did see a little bit, but mainly replays because it was on that funny times, wasn't that? Yeah, it was. You could perform efficiently, old fellas. I don't think you'll be trying to get him back in Tigers, Kalas, any time. So you did all right in the last game, actually. 40-not-out, but apart from that, not too great for our man. But that's OK. We push on. Big pre-season's underway for both programs over at Blunston Arena. How are the squads looking ahead of the domestic season? Yeah, really good. The men are kind of split at home at the minute. We've got quite a few players over Payne in England, which is great. We're doing very well for Somerset and Bo down at Gloucestershire, but the rest of the lads are working very well and we're kind of working towards pre-season down in, well, we've got Tripp in Darwin and then we've got a couple of trips in Brisbane for both squads. So I'm sure they're looking forward to some sun over there. They're more as interested in players and what they do in the Aussies, and so you encourage them and you'd rather see them playing cricket. Would you or was it each to their own and what they want to do is some players better to rest up and enjoy some down time? Yeah, we do treat it on an individual basis, but we've done a bit of work over the last couple years looking at the percentage between how much we train as cricket as to how much we play, and we've noticed that from a playing point of view, we need to do more. So we've really pushed this for those that players that are willing and wanting to go play overseas, we've encouraged it as much as possible, and one of our strategic pillars is to make sure we're playing more games to cricket. So that's taking that into the summer as well. We might start with some big bash cricket, so unfortunately no BBL or WBL games in Launceston this year due to the redevelopment happening at Utah Stadium. Will you still be trying to engage with that part of the state though, and obviously making them feel very important too, and the role they play, the supporters up there in northern Tasmania? Yeah, it's really unfortunate that we can't get up there from a playing point of view, but we'll be working hard both with community cricket and what we do from a player with their points of view to make sure we've got a great preference in the north. We love playing up there, they always come out in massive crowds, but like you said, it's a little bit of a shame that we're looking forward to the redevelopment, and then hopefully getting up there as soon as we can once everything's complete. So starting with the BBL, it looks like the men's list has pretty much stayed the same, obviously Charlie Wakeham has come in, but I remember speaking to you at the end of last season about sort of more opportunity, I suppose, for people like Mitch Owen and maybe Ian Carl, are you expecting them to get more of an opportunity this season coming up? Yeah, I think what we've seen from the Tigers program is that if we back our young players and give them opportunity, they're pleasantly surprised us, and that's something we'll be keeping an eye on coming into the hurricane season. I think we have to make sure looking back at our history again that when overseas coming, if they've not got vast amount of experience in playing franchise cricket, the level of pressure can sometimes win, and we don't get the performances that we need. So this could provide great opportunity, like you say, particularly for someone like Mitch Owen and who can better that three or four slot and make it their own. So yeah, we've got to do things differently because we want to make those final, so I'm looking forward to it. And the club, but recently announced that Chris Jordan will be returning as your multi-year overseas player. How can we to bring him back after the season he put together last year? Oh, look, that was a no-brainer for us, that one, because he does all three stuff that's incredibly well, especially bowling at the Death 4ers and then coming in as that powerful hitter at 7R8. And not only that, he's just the ultimate professional, so he brings a certain level of expertise and raising the standard in the round our group. Yeah, so to sign him for the next two years is fantastic. Turbulent off-season for Nikhil Choudry, obviously, but he's certainly part of your plans moving forward with the hurricanes. Yeah, look, you know, we've had to work through that and kind of put all that behind us now, but what we're trying to do is kind of build on what he gave us in his first year, which was, you know, what we thought was a middle-order finisher, which we saw glimpses of, but then he came back really well from a ball, point of view. So we actually think we've got a really good button all rounder in Nikhil, and we think he's only just going to get better and better, as long as we keep providing those opportunities for him. So he could be really exciting for us. One of those conversations being like with him and getting his trust back, I suppose, from Cricket Tasmania's point of view. Yeah, look, it's not that an easy process, I can't lie, but, you know, we've been working with Nikhil and trying to understand where we got to and how we got to this stage, and there's been some clear communication that's maybe put us in a different light to understand that, you know, it wasn't that easy for him, and the lack of clarity from him was a reason for it. So we've spoken, we've spoken with a captain, we've put all this behind us, and now he's fully part of the team. So we've got to move forward now, Brent. Absolutely, a Texan here on the Harkorts Open line for you, Sal, actually, Harkorts results for you. Ask Sally Annie if we'll see Nikhil chow during the Tigers set up this season for White Ball Cricket. Any thoughts on that, Sal? I can confirm that we won't see him in any Tigers kit. We're keen to see what he can do for us from a hurricane's point of view for one more year, because we definitely see him currently as a White Baller. And of course, obviously we played Marsh Cup, but we want to get that balance when we recruit players for Tigers that can contribute in both Red and White Ball. Another Texan here from Matt, it says, "Morning Brent, his choudry sign is an import for the Hobart Hurricanes. No, he's not. He's a domestic player, isn't he Sal?" Yeah, he's a domestic, so he's got his visa. He was approved by the ICC and CA last year that he can play as a local player, because he's been in Brisbane for a number of years now. Now let's go to the W.E.B.B.L. We've got the ability to pre-sign an international player to a multi-year deal in that competition as well. Are you planning on doing that? And do you plan on doing that with Lazelle Lee, potentially Sal? It's very tricky one for us. We'll definitely bring in with Lee back. We just don't know what capacity yet, because we've got the first pick and the ninth pick. I don't know if you're sure that we did well in the lost room. I think I saw some images of you celebrating it. I wanted to say that somewhere. Well, it puts us in a really good position. So what we've got to wait for is the 18th of August, and that's when we find out who is actually in the draft. And then from there we'll work through what talent we've got available, and then that'll dictate whether we pre-sign, visit or pick her up in the draft. Okay, right. So that's that we'll wait and see how that plays out. With the WNCL program, obviously, a four-peat. Is that being talked about much? Because yeah, it's been an incredible three-season hasn't it? Yeah, it's been incredible. You know, really well led from Elise Delani. And yes, four-peat is on. Interestingly, there's things more urgency than the four-peat than the three-peat. I think it's because that is almost impossible from an accolade point of view in professional sport. But like it's always said, it's how we compete against ourselves and make sure that we're evolving and pushing the boundaries to get more out of us. But that is certainly the plan, and the girls are working towards it. Just onto Sheffield, Sheffield, a lot of people thought the men's shield final appearance was perhaps a few years ahead of schedule, I guess, but are you confident you'll still be there about to gain this season? Yeah. Look, it was great to get there, but it probably did take us by surprise a little bit, as we're building towards this kind of three-year journey. We want to be competitive, of course, but to make a final in year one, it was great. But yeah, look, I think we're looking to build a core group of players that have released played 45 games together from a cap point of view, collectively. And we know that if you've played first-class cricket for a number of years, as one group, you've got a great challenge. We've got some great young players, like how good were those bowlers when they would come back to the opportunity after kind of losing our veterans to stand up and take 20 wickets most game was fantastic. Absolutely. You've got a couple of linear recruits as well in Matt Cooneman, and we'll press which, how are they fitting in so far? Yeah, really good. Matt's been in out of our environment because he was actually on the reserve like for the World Corps, so he stayed a little bit of time in Brisbane, so he could train on turf. But fair grade, really down to where a few have been. Really enjoyed the environment. Keener's mustered, but Will, who's eager to impress, and Matt, who's an experienced campaigner. Again, they've just raised the standards and the professionalism in the environment. And some really tough news. We heard a week or two ago now about Jared Freeman as well, taking some time away to deal with his mental health. What can you tell us about Jared and how's he going? Yeah, he's going okay. As best as he can be anyway, like it, you know, he would, should have been training with the guys now, but obviously he's got to, you know, spend some time working away and sorting his mental health out. We're in contact with him weekly to make sure that he's got all the support we need from a medical point of view. But look, it's going to be a long journey for him that we're convinced he'll come back to cricket hopefully sooner rather than later. I guess how thankful are you? I mean, you didn't know at the time, but to have someone like Coonaman come in to have that other spin option, you're counting your lucky stars that you went down that path now? Oh, well, it certainly worked out well to make sure that we've got someone to fill in that role. But yeah, what we wanted to do was make sure that we've got two good spinners competing against each other, because once you've got that, you always create really healthy debate and they kind of raise their standards together. But yeah, it's a bit of sweet, isn't it, from someone like Frog who's worked hard and performed particularly last year. So then, you know, leave the environment due to mental health, and then we've got another world cost and ready to come in and replace him for the short term. Then, you know, like I said, it's kind of a bittersweet feeling. And what's Frog he's returned to cricket look like? Will that be through grade cricket? And I know he's up in nonsense, I think. So is that a change of grade cricket club potentially? Have you looked into all that just yet? Well, yeah, we're gonna have to work through that process once we get close to reason. I can't feed him wanting to leave Linda's farm. But at the minute, we've set up a training program for him in the north. So he can have familiar surroundings. He'll be working with our emerging Tigers program out of the NTCA. And then once he gets to kind of full-time training that's manageable, we'll slowly start to bring him back to Hobart. And last one before I let you go. How excited are you after seeing the renders from a quarry points data and come out a week or so ago? Obviously, it's pretty exciting for cricket given we could host some Red Bull under a roof for the very first time around the world. Yeah, what did you make of it all? Oh, absolutely. Fantastic. Like even the design, the graphics, I love that we had actually hurricane spliced in that in the town. But it's going to change the landscape. I think here, for Tezi, I've been a king follower wanting this to move on as quick as possible. Obviously, it's going to take significant time to build but how good for us to be playing great cricket contracts in such an arena, a fully support. And just quickly too, high performance and as a part of this as well for cricket as we spoke with David Byrne and Don Baker this time last week about that. That's such an important piece of the puzzle too, isn't it moving forward? Yeah, I think if you've got an arena like that, that's going to be an absolute spectacle for fans and the level of professionalism that brings. You've got to back it up on the training point of view. We've been training obviously in Blunford in a while and although it's evolved, the biggest problem for others, we don't have enough turf. We need overalls, we need, I keep pushing for three overalls, so not only can I loop teams train but also our pathway can train and prepare for the game. So yeah, I just think it's fantastic for someone like me who recruits in professional sport. The more professional high performance environments we've got, the reason is to recruit the likes of doctors, triple SM staff, S&C, physios. It just creates a massive BCAS system for professionals and so I'm fully forward as well. Sally Ann Beams, always great to have a chat, appreciate it here on SCN Tassie breakfast and all the best with pre-season. Thanks for your time. Cheers Brent, thanks for having me, take care. Sally Ann Beams, high performance boss at Cricket Tasmania, joining us here on SCN Tassie breakfast. It's still time to get a quick text through on the Harquarts Open Line 0437 535 Harquarts results for you. It's breakfast powered by Kubota, take on any job with Kubota's range of tractors, mowers and utility vehicles. Back to wrap it all up right after this. [Music]