'Normal' Stanlake frees shackles as BBL return nears

It may seem like an odd conclusion to draw given it's been 575 days since his last ball in a competitive match but for Hobart Hurricanes new quick Billy Stanlake it doesn't feel like that long at all.

A lot has happened in his life since injuring his back on Country Championship debut for Derbyshire in May 2021 – the biggest of all a move from the hot, humid climate of Queensland to the chilly, drier air of Australia's most southern city, Hobart.

Stanlake says he "can't be happier" with how it's all turned out, which included a new approach to his rehabilitation, a fresh medical team, and a change of state and Big Bash clubs, revealing he feels freer than ever ahead of his return to the field in a club T20 match on Saturday.

And despite all his injury troubles, which included a re-aggravation of the stress fracture last January that scuppered his initial comeback plan, the 28-year-old told cricket.com.au's Unplayable Podcast there will be no holding back when he crosses that white line.

"I'm feeling really free," Stanlake said earlier this week ahead of his first match for Tasmanian Premier League club Greater Northern Raiders.

"I've had a couple good hit outs last couple weeks and tried to crank it up a few times. That's given me a lot of confidence to just bowl freely and have no worries about the back.

"The last couple of bowling sessions (in the past week) I've been going full tilt, which has been nice because I haven't done it for 18 months.

"My goal is to hit the ground running straight away, I don't want to talk myself into needing a couple of games back to perform well.

"The goal is to come out straight away and have an impact and perform well and there's no reason why I can, so that's how I'm approaching it."

Image Id: 64252A9EB7764FF284A254743C904405 Image Caption: Stanlake has switched states and Big Bash clubs // Getty

Given the peace of mind to get his return to play right in his new home state rather targeting a specific date or match, Stanlake says it's helped him just feel "normal" as his much-anticipated first top-level match in 18 months inches closer – which he hopes will be by the Hurricanes third fixture of KFC BBL|12 on December 22 against the Sydney Sixers.

Hobart and Tasmanian Tigers head coach Jeff Vaughan however has found it hard to contain his excitement when asked over the last month about unleashing his new 204cm fast bowler and hasn't ruled out the possibility of letting him loose against his old club the Melbourne Stars in their season opener.

"I don't think I've really thought about (my playing return) too much," Stanlake said.

"I think sometimes other people might be more excited than I am.

"Throughout my rehab progress it's just been a day-to-day (process), knock another week off so I haven't really ever looked too far ahead.

"That's why it's gone pretty quick for me, I've never really looked further than the week ahead so it's still probably how I'm treating it. I'm kind of just feeling quite normal to be honest.

"The communication between coaches and medical staff and everyone involved has been terrific and for them to have the patience and to not to rush me back and to allow me just to get things right.

"As soon as I got down here we all sat down and the number one goal was just for me to get this return to playing right, and however long that took, they were happy so that's all that mattered.

"To have that level of comfort for me to not feel rushed or trying to get back too early … that's why we're in a good place now and I can't thank them enough.

"I spoke to Huss (Stars coach David Hussey) and I think in the end it's probably worked out pretty well, especially with the transition of moving states and having the long layoff, it just ensured everything was in control down here and we stuck to the plan and we weren't getting ahead of ourselves.

"I'm looking forward to just sticking in one place for the season (and) obviously it's a pretty pivotal time for me, it's been 18 months so just to have that bit of continuity be able to stay at home is going to be a good thing for me."

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Stanlake says there was always a thought throughout his rehab of "what if it goes again" having also suffered back-to-back back stress fractures as an 18 and 19-year-old.

But visits to world-renowned Gold Coast spinal surgeon Matthew Scott-Young – one of the consultants behind Tiger Woods' incredible comeback from his Anterior Lumbar Interbody Fusion in 2017 – and having everyone at Cricket Tasmania on the same page has given him confidence that his injury issues could be behind him.

"Once you start creeping back to the full run up there's always a few little nerves thinking 'what if it goes again'," he said.

"But each time you progress and start bowling a little bit harder and pulled up fine, then that gives you confidence and now to have a couple sessions of going full tilt pulling up with no dramas, that gives you more confidence.

"There's always a little bit of nervousness when you up the intensity a little bit and hoping it doesn't go on me again, but especially the last couple weeks that's given me a lot of confidence now to just to bowl without any trepidations or worries so I'm feeling really good.

"Probably the most frustrating thing was going at like 60-70 per cent and trying to find a bit of rhythm with my bowling and not get the shits, which I did a couple of times.

"But once you get back to that full intensity you're not worried about that stuff, and it just frees you up and you get your action going at lot better."

His move to the Hurricanes will see him link up with their new head of strategy Ricky Ponting for the first time who once declared Stanlake had the potential to be "one of the all-time great fast bowlers" and joins fellow Tigers speedsters Riley Meredith and Nathan Ellis as part of a formidable Hobart pace attack with each one capable of nudging it to the high 140kph mark.

"We all bring a little bit of a point difference (and) to have plenty of different skill sets throughout the bowling unit, it's fantastic," Stanlake said.

"That's what good bowling sides have … we all do our thing in a little bit of a different way.

"I'm looking forward to competing with 'Riz' (Riley Meredith) and getting the speed gun up there.

"I'm sure once I get out there I'll probably try to start bowling as fast as I can, I'm sure the competitive juices will hit me straight away.

"But the main point is to make sure I'm in good positions, I'm up tall, bowling fast, getting my bounce … and my stock ball is where it needs to be with a couple of my variations and yorkers."