Quantcast

New dad Abbott 'repays the favour' ahead of milestone

Allrounder Sean Abbott returns to the Sydney Sixers line-up tonight after the birth of his daughter just three wickets shy of becoming the KFC BBL's highest ever wicket-taker

For new dad Sean Abbott appearances for his country have been few and far between.

The 29-year-old allrounder – who is just three wickets shy of overtaking Ben Laughlin as the KFC BBL's all-time leading wicket-taker – has just welcomed his first child into the world with partner Brier.

Abbott, who has played two ODIs and seven T20I for Australia, with the last of those being in December 2020, has only played the Sydney Sixers' two home games in BBL|11 so he could remain by Brier's side for the birth of their daughter Ella last Monday.

The pace bowling allrounder was also selected in the Australia A squad to take on the England Lions in a tour match earlier this month – a match that he was happy to miss given the impending arrival of his daughter.

And despite his last appearance for the A side being almost a year ago against a touring Indian side, he said the thought never crossed his mind to not be at home for the birth of his first child.

"While it's a dream to play Test cricket and aspiring to play higher and be involved with the Australian team more often, the birth of your child is a pretty important thing to attend," Abbott told cricket.com.au ahead of his return for the Sixers tonight.

"Brier has sacrificed a hell of a lot for me over the years and I didn't even think it was a conversation to have.

"To skip a game and come home and be there for her leading up to the birth of our first child I thought that was a pretty insignificant thing to do on my end.


"Albeit a bloody good opportunity and something that I've been working hard for but to make sure I repay the favour a little bit for all the time and effort she's put into me over the years."

Abbott said it had been an unbelievable first week since Ella was born on December 13 at 7.04pm.

"Everyone said it would be life changing, they played it down," he said.

"Ella's been an absolute angel the whole week so it's been great to connect with her and watch her and Brier connect, it's been a beautiful week.

"I feel like it's been a pretty natural progression for us into parenthood, we've obviously been together for a long time and Brier looks like an absolute natural."

Sixers thrash Stars in record-breaking display

Abbott will be back in action at the SCG tonight when the Sixers take on the Adelaide Strikers after he missed their stunning chase against the Melbourne Stars last Wednesday when Josh Philippe starred with 99 not out.

The right-armer is eyeing his own milestone – he has 109 BBL career scalps and needs just three to overtake Laughlin on 111 as the competition's leading wicket-taker.

He also has 99 wickets for the Sydney Sixers (and 10 for the Thunder) and will become the second bowler behind Andrew Tye last night to achieve 100 wickets for a single BBL club if he takes one tonight.

Abbott said the approaching records were "pretty cool" but he still had a lot of cricket left to play in his career.

"I'm only young, I'm not even 30, so I feel like there's a hell of a lot of cricket left in me," he said.

In case you don't know me: Sean Abbott

"My role in the team is to come on and take wickets but now there's also other things in my bowling I want to improve too.

"While it's nice to be close to getting that little record and sitting on top of that, there's a few pretty good bowlers right behind me who are chasing me pretty quickly."

Those bowlers chasing him are the Melbourne Renegades' Kane Richardson on 104 wickets and Perth Scorchers quick Tye on 103.

Abbott's return to the side couldn't come at a better time for the Sixers who will be without veteran spinner Steve O'Keefe due to a calf strain and English import Tom Curran who has flown home with a back injury for tonight's clash.

Curran is out for the rest of the tournament and it will also be England white ball fast bowler Chris Jordan's last appearance of his five-game stint in the BBL before he returns home as well.

"There's plenty of roles that I need to step up and make sure I'm improving at other than just taking wickets," Abbott said.

"So far this season we've had two bowlers that have stepped up and bowled the really tough overs in CJ (Jordan) and Tommy Curran, so it's probably my turn now that we've lost Tommy and CJ after this game as well, that I step up and make sure I'm really executing in those tougher overs in the (Power) Surge and at the death."

It's been baby season at the Sixers recently with Dan Christian also welcoming his first child with partner Jorgia with their daughter Harper arriving on December 6.

"The last season when we won (the title), the next day Moey (Moises Henriques), his young bloke Archie, he wasn't very old at all and he chucked him in the (premiership) cup and I was hoping that was something that I'll be able to do one day with my kid," Abbott said.

"And then eight months down the track Ella's been born so that'd be nice to do at the end of the season … I might sneak the cup home if we win."

Abbott said it was mostly the culture at the Sixers that had contributed to his success on the field.

"It's the environment more than anything that Shippy (coach Greg Shipperd), Moey and the rest of the lads, especially the senior group that we've had here for a long time," he said.

"Moey drums it into us just having a growth mindset every time we go out onto the training paddock or come out onto the field and just not having a fear of failure."

Abbott, who has experience with the Royal Challengers Bangalore in the Indian Premier League in 2015, said he was eyeing Australia's three subcontinent tours during that off-season next year for a potential return to national colours.

"I feel like my skill set growing up at the SCG where the older ball plays more of a role than the newer ball most of the time, I feel like I can certainly play a role in those tours but we'll see, there's a lot of cricket to be played between now and then," he said.

Sign up for BKT Big Bash Tipping this season at tipping.cricket.com.au! Go for the major prize or join a league and take on your friends, family and colleagues.