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Swepson reflects on rapid rise

Australia's boom leggie has enjoyed quite the ride in the past 12 months

Leg-spinner Mitch Swepson knows all too well how quickly things can change in cricket.

After years of hard work, he’s experienced a rapid rise over the past 12 months, becoming a regular at domestic level for Queensland and the Brisbane Heat, stepping up to Australia A level and impressing enough to earn a Test squad call-up for Australia’s tour of India.


This time last year, he was a member of the National Performance Squad (NPS), after a summer which included a first taste of professional cricket with the Cricket Australia XI in the Matador BBQs One-Day Cup, followed by Sheffield Shield and KFC Big Bash League debuts for the Bulls and Heat respectively.

"Yeah it has been a big 12 months," the 23-year-old said from Spin Week at the Bupa National Cricket Centre (NCC).

"It started this time last year up at the NCC with the NPS program which is such a good thing for the players that are in it. It’s not often you get facilities like this (in winter) … and being able to have skills sessions three times a week in the winter months is ideal. 

"To get that sot of training that early under your belt is really good, and it flowed in really nicely to the Australia A Series that I got to play in (in 2016).

"The start of the season went really well for me and luckily by the end of it I ended up getting to go to India which was really awesome."

Mitch Swepson's big turner bowls Warner

While he didn’t get the chance to pull on a Baggy Green cap, Swepson says the India tour was a "trip of a lifetime".

"I think every kid’s dream is to go on tour with the Australian team - it was amazing," he said.

"Unfortunately I didn’t get to play and we didn’t get the result we wanted, but those were the only two negatives I could take out of the tour. It was amazing, I learnt so much and it was such a good group of boys there that got behind everyone and it was just a really good tour."

The emerging spinner credits his three months with the NPS in 2016 as playing a key role in his development, after playing coming through Queensland’s Under-17s and Under-19s, and Premier Cricket with Sandgate-Redcliffe.

"It’s really good to get into that routine. It’s not often you get to stay as a squad for such a long period of time, and to have these facilities here at the drop of a hat, it’s something that I think a lot of the guys can sometimes take for granted," he said,

"The coaches here, you’ve got one-on-one coaching, and it’s just a really good program. I took the opportunity to be able to bowl a lot, get some batting done and obviously some fielding done as well."

Mitch Swepson bamboozles the Scorchers

This time last week Swepson was back on his old stomping ground passing on tips to younger players following in his footsteps at Spin Week - where a group of the country’s best young spinners come together in an intensive training program.

"It’s good to see that they’re getting some young players coming through," he said.

"I guess that’s the way its sort of goes, as you grow up you get moved along (the ranks). I had my opportunity here to learn from the coaches and learn from the facilities and stuff like that. 

"It’s good that there’s a new crop coming through … it’s great that I get to come back in here, especially for Spin Week, and be able to offer my advice to anyone that wants it and my experience from last year."

But for now, Swepson will set his sights on Australia A’s tour of South Africa - another new experience playing the game he loves, and an opportunity to test his skills against both South Africa A and India A in foreign conditions.

"I’ve always played cricket because I’ve enjoyed it, I love playing it," he said.

"I’m happy with how I’m going at the moment. For this time of the year, the ball’s coming out pretty well. 

"I’m just really keen to get over to South Africa and see what I can do over there, I’ve never been to South Africa before so it’s a new experience for me.

"I’m just grateful that I’m picking up all these new experiences and getting to travel places that I haven’t been before and test myself in different environments. 

"It’s going really well and I’m looking forward to that."