Walsh's wild ride from Aussie net bowler to Aussie destroyer

In March, 2019, Aaron Finch said "a gun leg-spinner who bowls it a little bit like Rashid Khan" was among the USA cricketers who had caught his eye following a net session in Sharjah.

Australia were in the midst of an ODI series against Pakistan ahead of that year's 50-over World Cup and had invited the US national side, who were also in the UAE at the time, to train with them.

Little did Finch know that two years on, in preparation for another World Cup, that same leg-spinner who had bowled to them in a dusty practice nets in Sharjah would soon be troubling the Aussies out in the middle too.

Hayden Walsh Jr. is the leading wicket-taker in the West Indies' T20I series against Australia in St Lucia, playing an instrumental role in their stunning first-up win before following it up with another strangling effort on Saturday evening.

Walsh still has photos saved on his phone bowling in his blue USA shirt to Australia, and of him speaking to Peter Handscomb.

"I remember bowling to 'Finchy', 'Uzzie' (Usman Khawaja), Alex Carey, a couple of other guys," the 29-year-old told cricket.com.au after the Windies' 56-run second T20I win over Australia. "I really enjoyed just being there."

Image Id: B4559552AC484434B058128D91C791F9 Image Caption: Chatting with Peter Handscomb in Sharjah, 2019 // Peter Della Penna

Within months of that encounter, Walsh joined the rare club of players to have represented two countries in international cricket when he made his debut for the West Indies after 20 games with the USA.

He had qualified for the Americans by virtue of being born in the US Virgin Islands to Antiguan parent,s having previously been largely overlooked in the West Indies' regional system.

Image Id: 59366C25265A4321A161FEFA477E34C5 Image Caption: Walsh bowls to the Aussies in the Sharjah nets, 2019 // supplied

"I never had eyes on playing for the West Indies, I had eyes on playing for the US, maybe taking them to a World Cup," Walsh said. 

"At the time (in 2019), I wasn't playing any regional cricket, I was mainly on the bench.

"I was like, 'Let me try to play some Associate cricket'. It turned out pretty well. They were trying to qualify for ODI status and here I am. Everything just went on from there … Things just happened."

A breakout 2019 Caribbean Premier League season with the title-winning Barbados Tridents propelled him into the Windies white-ball teams, although the twists and turns continued when Walsh caught COVID-19 on the Windies' tour of Bangladesh earlier this year.

By the time the Australia series began, he had not played international cricket in more than a year.

Walsh rated his role in Australia's astonishing collapse in the first T20I among his greatest career achievements, and he has now dismissed their leading batter in the series, Mitch Marsh, in both games.

The wrist-spinner has six wickets at economy rate of 6.50 in the back-to-back victories, and is hopeful of making the Windies' T20 World Cup squad.

"I really wanted to play international cricket so I was just trying to find whatever way I could to that," he added.

"USA was an avenue that I could try, and my cricket just became better and better, and I'm here now."

Qantas Tour of the West Indies 2021

Australia squad: Aaron Finch (c), Ashton Agar, Wes Agar, Jason Behrendorff, Alex Carey, Dan Christian, Josh Hazlewood, Moises Henriques, Mitchell Marsh, Ben McDermott, Riley Meredith, Josh Philippe, Mitchell Starc, Mitchell Swepson, Ashton Turner, Andrew Tye, Matthew Wade, Adam Zampa. Travelling reserves: Nathan Ellils, Tanveer Sangha.

West Indies T20 squad: Kieron Pollard (c), Nicholas Pooran (vc), Fabian Allen, Dwayne Bravo, Sheldon Cottrell, Fidel Edwards, Andre Fletcher, Chris Gayle, Shimron Hetmyer, Jason Holder, Akeal Hosein, Evin Lewis, Obed McCoy, Andre Russell, Lendl Simmons, Kevin Sinclair, Oshane Thomas, Hayden Walsh Jr

T20 series
(all matches at the Daren Sammy Cricket Ground, St Lucia)

First T20: West Indies won by 18 runs

Second T20: West Indies won by 56 runs

Third T20: July 13, 9.30am AEST (July 12, 7.30pm local)

Fourth T20: July 15, 9.30am AEST (July 14, 7.30pm local)

Fifth T20: July 17, 9.30am AEST (July 16, 7.30pm local)

ODI series
(all matches at Kensington Oval, Barbados)

First ODI (D/N): July 21, 4.30am AEST (July 20, 2.30pm local)

Second ODI (D/N): July 23, 4.30am AEST (July 22, 2.30pm local)

Third ODI (D/N): July 25, 4.30am AEST (July 24, 2.30pm local)

* Details of five-match T20 tour of Bangladesh are yet to be announced by the Bangladesh Cricket Board. Tours are subject to agreement on bio-security arrangements and relevant government approvals.