Hitman for Hire: A year in the life of a franchise cricketer

Following the end of the regular series, we catch up with David to look back at Namibia's T20 World Cup campaign, explore his decision to end his international career and, of course, answer YOUR questions.
Those questions covered topics such as how much of their sale price does a player actually receive, the fallout from David's comments regarding the Kolkata Knight Riders head coach, dealing with abusive fans, The Hundred sell-off, advice for youngsters, most feared opponents and more.
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It's the end of our twelve months in the company of our Hitman for Hire, so in this final episode of the series David looks back at the year as a whole and picks his highlights, lowlights and shares some more great stories from the circuit.
Find out which of David's teams he thinks would win a round-robin tournament, which superstar is most unlike their on-field persona behind the scenes, the order in which David would rank the tournaments he's played in over the year, the teammate habit that drives him mad, his toughest opponent, which player he had to beg for kit after an airline lost his baggage and much, much more!
COMING SOON: Bonus episode! David will be answering YOUR questions about the life of a franchise cricketer. Get in touch via the methods below.
Follow the show:
Instagram: www.instagram.com/hitman_pod/
X: twitter.com/hitman_pod
Get in touch:
Email: [email protected]
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/sam-keir-aa043078/
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It's February 2024 and David opens up about a difficult time playing for Joburg Super Kings in the SA20, the final tournament of our year together. We learn how past performances count for nothing if you don't make a good first impression with a coach, how quickly pre-tournament assurances can disappear and how difficult it is to break into a starting XI once you've been left out. We examine the pros and cons of staying at home rather than in a team hotel, choosing between tournaments and the possible regrets, how the SA20 is reshaping cricket in South Africa and the latest craze to dominate days off during franchise tournaments.
Also on the agenda: growing up with Faf du Plessis, two-hour commutes, the best play-off system to decide finalists, crowd catches, creating household names, 3rd XI Test teams, the evolution of dressing room culture, drinking brandy in Paarl and the secrets of the relay catch.
David's stats from the tournament: https://www.espncricinfo.com/records/tournament/averages-batting-bowling-by-team/sa20-2023-24-15679?team=6987
David does the hard work for a relay catch with Leus du Plooy: https://youtu.be/OHGcBSazhmY?si=qTWpL1oQN7q6r1RL&t=177
COMING SOON: Bonus episode! David will be answering YOUR questions about the life of a franchise cricketer. Get in touch via the methods below.
Follow the show:
Instagram: www.instagram.com/hitman_pod/
X: twitter.com/hitman_pod
Get in touch:
Email: [email protected]
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/sam-keir-aa043078/
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It's December 2023 and David has just returned from the Abu Dhabi T10 where he was playing for losing finalists, Deccan Gladiators. Is T10 a format the players take seriously? Are we at 'peak franchise'? Who does this tournament exist for? Could T10 be the perfect format for growing the game globally? How do players protect themselves from corruption?
Also on the agenda: hourly rates, the Rugby 7s of cricket, who is known as Mr. T10, why saving your best performances for the Abu Dhabi T10 could be a shrewd move, Indian players in leagues other than the IPL, Rashid Khan's aversion to T10, suspicious no balls and staying in shape over Christmas.
David's stats from the tournament: https://www.espncricinfo.com/records/tournament/averages-batting-bowling-by-team/abu-dhabi-t10-2023-24-15945?team=6683
David slams 20 from 11 balls in the final: https://youtu.be/FvSFI1Fqp5E?si=iZxIHE7thuVJX3Du&t=297
COMING SOON: Bonus episode! David will be answering YOUR questions about the life of a franchise cricketer. Get in touch via the methods below.
Follow the show:
Instagram: www.instagram.com/hitman_pod/
X: twitter.com/hitman_pod
Get in touch:
Email: [email protected]
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/sam-keir-aa043078/
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It's late November 2023 and - away from the glitz and glamour of the big franchise leagues - David is representing Nambia in their bid to qualify for the 2024 T20 World Cup. We find out why a franchise cricketer earning big money still chooses to turn out for an adopted nation in relatively low-key qualifying tournaments, and explore the reality of life for those associate cricketers without David's profile. We also hear how David is coming to terms with not being retained for the 2024 IPL.
Also on the agenda: the cutthroat nature of associate cricket, parents watching on from camping chairs, choosing Namibia over the riches of the Abu Dhabi T10, finding belonging in an otherwise transient existence, sharing rooms with teammates, being the big name player at a tournament, cricket vs. football in Africa, messages from the Namibian president and talk of the 2026 T20 World Cup terrifying David's wife!
David's stats from the ICC Men's T20 World Cup Africa Qualifier: https://www.espncricinfo.com/records/tournament/averages-batting-bowling-by-team/icc-men-s-t20-world-cup-africa-region-qualifier-2023-24-15904?team=28
David's post match interview after Namibia secured qualification for the 2024 ICC Men's T20 World Cup: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ubj4R-JmNfo&t=59s
COMING SOON: Bonus episode! David will be answering YOUR questions about the life of a franchise cricketer. Get in touch via the methods below.
Follow the show:
Instagram: www.instagram.com/hitman_pod/
X: twitter.com/hitman_pod
Get in touch:
Email: [email protected]
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/sam-keir-aa043078/
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices