An Aussie ready to rain sixes with self-made bats
"I've just found my new favourite player. I love him!" said Adam Gilchrist, one of Australia's most destructive batters ever, after watching Big Bash League (BBL) sensation Josh Brown in action.
Josh was just playing his second-ever BBL game when Gilchrist saw him bat last year. The right-hander carved out an even bigger reputation in this year's tournament by hitting a blistering ton in the semifinal and a half-century in the final to help Brisbane Heat to the title.
Josh helped Brisbane end an 11-year title drought but said that meeting Gilchrist, his childhood hero, for the first time was more nerve wrecking than batting in the final.
"I met him last year and I was more nervous meeting him than I was playing the Big Bash final," Josh recalls while speaking with The Daily Star.
Josh took part in the BBL final on January 24 and arrived in Bangladesh on the 27th for the BPL on a very short notice.
Chattogram Challengers were on the lookout for a player to replace Pakistan's Mohammad Harris and Josh's knock in the BBL semifinal, where he hit 12 sixes, caught their attention.
"I think they [Chattogram] just messaged my manager a day after that big score in the semifinal and I said 'Hey, just let me focus on trying to win the final and we can talk about it after'.
"He [manager] just said sorry, you just have to sign this and you are going to Bangladesh," Josh said about the quick turn of events.
Josh left the BBL commentators awestruck with his hitting ability last year, and left everyone pondering the same question, where had he been all this time?
The 30-year-old only got into cricket in his mid-20s, claiming he was not taking the game seriously before.
Standing at well over six feet, Josh does not try to premediate his shots, rather he banks on his ability to pick the length of the ball very quickly and create absolute carnage.
"When I am watching the ball really well and I am just reacting, it's like I am hitting the ball where it needs to go. I am not sort of thinking a reverse sweep here or try sweeping. Like if he bowls in there, I will just hit it where the ball is going to go," he said.
There are many batters going around in world cricket with similar destructive powers, however, Josh is perhaps the only one who also makes his own weapon of destruction.
"Yeah, I am the maker of my own bats and we got a little store in Brisbane," he said, adding that they make custom bats in the shop.
"It's just been me and my boss but we got a couple of new guys since I've been away playing cricket. Started about four years ago and I love it," he added.
Josh is yet to make his BPL debut but knows what kind of impact he wants to make for the team.
"The impact I am hoping for is to continue my form from the backend of the BBL, just go out and hit a lot of sixes for the team."