Australian all-rounder Cooper Connolly said he wants to learn, grow and emulate his idol Shaun Marsh after joining Punjab Kings (PBKS) ahead of the upcoming Indian Premier League (IPL) season. The franchise bought the 22-year-old Australian cricketer for ₹3 crore during the recent auction.
PBKS will start their campaign against Gujarat Titans (GT) on March 31 in New Chandigarh. Last season, the franchise had to face a heart-breaking defeat against Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) in the final. Captain Shreyas Iyer and head coach Ricky Ponting will aim to win the trophy this year.
I love watching Shreyas Iyer bat – Cooper Connolly
Speaking exclusively to The Times of India, Cooper Connolly expressed his immense excitement about playing under Shreyas Iyer in challenging Indian pitch conditions during the tournament.
“Luckily, he was there and we had a good chat. It was all about cricket,” Cooper Connolly told TimeofIndia.com in an interview.
He said, “Look, he is a world-class player. I love watching him bat. It seems very easy. So it will be good to pick his mind, understand him a bit, see how he bats in Indian conditions, and put into practice what I can for my game in India. I am just looking forward to learning from him.”
It’s an honor to be a part of it – Cooper Connolly
The young Australian player said that playing for Punjab Kings is a great developmental opportunity. Cooper Connolly said his main aim is to gain valuable experience against top players and improve his all-round skills under Ricky Ponting.
Connolly said, “It felt great when the paddle went up. It was obviously good.” “I think initially the main goal was just to hope that I get selected. Now it’s just to go out there, experience some quality cricket against some quality opposition, and learn from some quality players in Punjab and obviously a great coaching staff in Punjab.”
“The moment one of the paddles went up for me was a moment when I thought, OK, I’ll go and challenge myself against the best in the world. It’s obviously cool to be auctioned off at a higher price than I thought.”
“It’s an honor to be a part of it and challenge myself against some quality opponents and try to learn as much as I can, whether I play or not. I’m just looking forward to going out there and learning and honing my skill set,” he said.
Shaun Marsh is the person I can contact for a conversation – Cooper Connolly
Cooper Connolly said that Shaun Marsh is his idol and he often talks to him about cricket. He said that he tries to imitate Marsh’s batting style, especially his timing and ability to score runs in all formats.
“he is [Shaun Marsh] I can contact someone for a chat about cricket and his outlook. More than anything, I try to model my game on the way he plays, how he gives himself chances in every format, his timing and his ability to hit boundaries. For me, it’s about approaching him when the time feels right.”
The young all-rounder also said that he still watches Marsh’s old highlights, especially his centuries, to learn from him. Connolly said that he picks up key qualities from Marsh’s game and tries to use them to improve his batting.
“He’s been really good to me. I’ve always enjoyed watching him bat, and even now I go back to his highlights, especially his centuries. It’s about picking out certain attributes from his batting and trying to incorporate them into my game, because he was world-class.”
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