In a remarkable turn of events that reads like a sporting fairytale, former carpenter Brendan Doggett is on the verge of a shock Test debut for Australia in the first Ashes match against England in Perth this Friday.
From Building Sites to the Ashes Arena
Injuries within the Australian squad have swung the door wide open for the 31-year-old pace bowler, who spent years honing his skills in relative obscurity on the domestic circuit while simultaneously working as a qualified carpenter. Doggett is expected to join Mitchell Starc and Scott Boland in a pace attack that few predicted at the start of the series.
Reflecting on his unexpected call-up, Doggett admitted to reporters in Perth that the reality of Test cricket is daunting. "I don't know how ready you can be for test cricket," he stated. However, he pointed to his form over the last 18 months to two years as a period of great success, not just in wicket-taking but also in the confidence he has found in his body and his game.
A Dream Life and a Cricket Bonus
The South Australian quick revealed that his phone has been inundated with messages from his "tradie" mates from his former life in Toowoomba, Queensland. It was there that he balanced his cricket ambitions with carpentry work, a life he genuinely cherished.
"I was playing country cricket and working as a carpenter, and that was the dream for me," Doggett confessed. "I [would] go back to Toowoomba... put the nail bag on and keep building houses. I loved that life. This is all just a bonus."
A Landmark for Indigenous Cricket
Doggett's debut would carry significant historical weight, as he is set to become just the third Indigenous Australian to play Test cricket, following in the footsteps of his fellow paceman Scott Boland and his mentor, former coach Jason Gillespie.
Boland's own debut in the 2021/22 Ashes series has already entered cricket legend, with his stunning match figures of 7 wickets at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, including a devastating 6-7 in the second innings, crushing England and helping Australia retain the urn.
This representation is particularly poignant given that while Indigenous communities are well represented in sports like the AFL and National Rugby League, elite cricket has seen far fewer athletes. Boland emphasised the importance of their presence, saying, "It’ll obviously be really special for him and his family and the Australian Indigenous community. Cricket is not as big in the Indigenous communities as what AFL and rugby league is, so hopefully we can try and shift it there, I guess."
As the cricketing world turns its eyes to Perth, all attention will be on the former carpenter ready to build a new legacy on the sport's biggest stage.
