The Cerebral Cricketer

Fawad Ahmed's journey is one of the most remarkable stories in Australian cricket.
After arriving in Australia as an asylum seeker, Fawad went from playing local cricket at Hoppers Crossing to representing the Australian national team in less than 12 months.
In this episode, we explore the incredible rise, the uncertainty, the pressure, and the mindset that shaped his journey.
Fawad opens up about leaving Pakistan, rebuilding his life in Australia, working survival jobs, finding his way through Melbourne club cricket, and eventually earning the chance to wear the Australian shirt.
We also discuss the craft of leg spin, the influence of Shane Warne, the mental battle of bowling, faith, prayer, blocking out external noise, and what it takes to keep believing when the odds seem stacked against you.
This is a conversation about cricket, survival, faith, identity, resilience, and the inner journey behind performance.
If you enjoy deep cricket conversations that go beyond technique and statistics, make sure to like, comment and subscribe to The Cerebral Cricketer.
#FawadAhmed #AustralianCricket #CricketPodcast #TheCerebralCricketer #CricketAustralia #LegSpin #ShaneWarne #BBL #MelbourneCricket #CricketMindset
Timestamps
00:00 Intro
01:23 Learning leg spin in Pakistan
02:01 Backyard cricket, tape-ball and early cricket memories
03:16 Shane Warne's influence on Fawad Ahmed
04:20 Choosing leg spin in a fast-bowling culture
06:00 Personality, dressing-room energy and relationships
08:19 Meeting Shane Warne at the MCG
12:14 The advice Shane Warne gave him
13:25 Faith, hardship and arriving in Australia
16:25 Survival mode, halal food and adjusting to a new country
17:58 Fruit picking, fencing work and rebuilding his life
20:46 "Be a man and face it"
23:23 How cricket became a mental recharge
25:58 Did hardship give Fawad an edge?
30:03 Getting dropped, failure and coming back stronger
32:18 From Hoppers Crossing to playing for Australia
33:24 Did Fawad ever visualise playing for Australia?
35:04 Earning respect through performance
39:23 The pressure of playing international cricket
40:00 Bowling the final over against England
42:48 Less than 12 months from Hoppers Crossing to Australia
43:36 What changed from club cricket to the Australian team
48:21 Being Muslim in Australian cricket
50:01 Halal food, fasting and questions from teammates
54:19 Resilience, bad days and accepting hardship
56:00 Prayer, spirituality and blocking out the noise
58:50 Fajr, sleep and four-day cricket
1:04:05 Playing with cricket's biggest names
1:06:02 Pollard, Rashid Khan, Sunil Narine and T20 greats
1:08:15 Virat Kohli's impact on modern cricket
1:10:43 Final reflections
1:13:49 Outro

We are joined by Shannon Young, founder of YoungGun Cricket and CEO of Cricket Performance Lab.
Shannon is a former Richmond Cricket Club Head Coach in Victorian Premier Cricket and has worked across private coaching, Premier Cricket and high-performance pathway environments. 
He has helped develop home-grown first-class cricketers and brings a unique perspective on what it actually takes to progress from club cricket to higher levels of the game.
In this conversation, we explore the psychology behind player development, understanding the person behind the cricketer, identifying behavioural patterns, building trust as a coach, and why modern coaching has to go beyond batting technique alone.
We also discuss Cricket Performance Lab, cricket technology, bat fitting, BPI, game education, young talent, Premier Cricket, and what separates talented players from players who are genuinely ready for the next level.
This episode is for cricketers, coaches, parents and serious cricket followers who want to better understand how modern players are developed, both technically and mentally.
#CricketPodcast #ShannonYoung #TheCerebralCricketer #CricketCoaching #PlayerDevelopment #PremierCricket #CricketPerformanceLab 
Timestamps
00:00 Intro to Shannon Young
00:57 Shannon's coaching journey
02:00 Players Shannon has worked with
03:05 Cricket Performance Lab and elite players
04:20 Jason Gillespie, Richmond and Glenn Maxwell context
06:00 Premier Cricket's role in developing talent
08:15 Building Richmond's academy model
10:00 Talent, belief and hard coaching
12:30 Standards, fielding and the 1% mindset
15:00 Pressure, trust and giving players ownership
18:10 Identifying and stretching young talent
20:10 Backing youth over established club players
22:00 Talent, environment and decision-making
27:15 The one club approach at Richmond
32:00 Traditional coaching vs modern cricket
33:25 Shannon's traffic light system
35:00 Jake Fraser-McGurk, risk and match-winning talent
39:20 Technique, foundations and power hitting
45:00 Shannon's personal story and coaching philosophy
50:00 Coaching the person behind the player
54:00 Mental performance, self-awareness and pressure
56:10 Neurodiversity, life context and performance
1:00:00 Understanding player responses and the Mitch Perry story
1:06:00 Coaching philosophy beyond technique
1:10:00 Learning from elite players and asking why
1:11:20 Cricket Performance Lab explained
1:14:00 Bat fitting, BPI and the 1% edge
1:17:20 Babar Azam and CPL insights
1:21:20 Final advice for young cricketers
1:22:20 Jake Fraser-McGurk, Glenn Phillips and challenging the game
1:24:10 Outro

In this episode of The Cerebral Cricketer, we sit down with Tom Scollay, former professional cricketer for Middlesex and founder of Cricket Mentoring.
Tom shares his journey from growing up in Alice Springs to playing professional cricket in England, including his experiences at Middlesex and Lord's.
We also explore the deeper side of cricket development, including confidence, pressure, mindset, parental influence, preparation and why so many talented young cricketers struggle to reach their full potential.
Tom also breaks down the philosophy behind Cricket Mentoring and its holistic approach to developing players beyond just technique, looking at the technical, tactical, mental, emotional, physical and lifestyle sides of the game.
This conversation is a must-listen for young cricketers, parents, coaches and anyone interested in the mental and emotional side of cricket.
Topics covered:
* Tom's journey from Alice Springs to Middlesex
* Playing professional cricket at Lord's
* Why talent alone is not enough
* The difference between coaching and mentoring
* The mental and emotional side of cricket
* How parents can better support young cricketers
* Why players lose confidence and enjoyment
* Cricket Mentoring's 6 Pillars of Success
* How young cricketers can understand themselves better
Guest: Tom Scollay
Follow Cricket Mentoring:
https://cricketmentoring.com/ https://www.instagram.com/cricketmentoring/
Timestamps
00:00 Intro
01:17 Growing up in Alice Springs
03:00 Falling in love with cricket
06:23 Studying the game before smartphones
07:43 Playing for Northern Territory
09:29 Facing future Australian stars as a junior
11:52 Steve Smith and the viral net session
13:32 Playing against older cricketers
17:17 Moving to Perth and joining Melville
19:05 The move to England and Middlesex
21:55 Hitting 24 in the first over on trial
23:41 Earning a Middlesex contract
24:17 Playing with Eoin Morgan, Chris Rogers and Andrew Strauss
25:22 Playing with freedom and making a statement
38:08 Self-worth, results and young cricketers
40:16 What parents should say after a game
43:03 The danger of forcing your dream onto your child
46:20 Lord's debut, pressure and imposter syndrome
01:03:51 Technique, tactics and the mental side of batting
 01:06:08 Cricket Mentoring's 6 Pillars of Success
01:06:57 Facing world-class T20 players
01:14:38 Advice for young cricketers
01:15:31 Outro

We sit down with Aryan Sharma, an Australia U19 all-rounder and Victorian rookie, for a powerful conversation about cricket, family, belief and the journey towards professional cricket.
Aryan's story is about much more than runs, wickets and selections. Behind his rise through the Australian pathway is a family story built on sacrifice, especially the role of his father, who came to Australia with $500 and spent years driving him to training, games and carnivals without complaint.
Aryan opens up about representing Australia at U19 level, earning a rookie contract with Victoria, learning from elite players in the Melbourne Stars and Victorian environments, and the pressure of trying to build a professional cricket career at a young age.
We also speak about confidence, faith, gratitude, taking positives from difficult situations, handling fear of failure, breathwork, batting with clarity, bowling spin in the modern game, and the mindset required to keep improving.
This was a very honest and grounded conversation with one of the exciting young all-rounders coming through Australian cricket.
Topics covered:
• Australia U19 journey
• Victoria rookie contract
• Family sacrifice and immigrant story
• His father's role in his cricket journey
• Faith, gratitude and belief
• Handling pressure and fear of failure
• Breathwork and staying present
• Confidence as a young cricketer
• Learning from Glenn Maxwell, Marcus Stoinis and the Melbourne Stars
• Batting, spin bowling and becoming a genuine all-rounder
If you enjoyed this episode, please like, comment and subscribe for more long-form conversations on cricket, mindset and performance.
Timestamps
00:00 Intro
02:40 Learning from Glenn Maxwell
04:57 Becoming a genuine all-rounder
06:29 U19 World Cup semi-final pressure
08:22 Breathwork, nerves and clarity
09:59 Learning to bat longer
11:50 Red ball vs white ball mindset
12:56 Good risks vs bad risks
13:30 Aryan's early cricket journey
15:00 Becoming a left-arm spinner
18:57 Virat Kohli's influence
21:15 The viral Boxing Day Test poster
23:31 Faith, gratitude and perspective
27:00 Representing Australia U19s
28:04 His father's sacrifices
31:25 Family support and his sisters
33:06 His father coming to Australia with $500
35:33 U17 carnival and pathway cricket
38:47 Method to the madness
39:22 Confidence and fear of failure
43:03 Dressing room culture
44:07 Playing against future Australia U19 teammates
48:56 Australia U19 debut series against India
51:23 Oliver Peake and teammate success
54:26 Getting a Victoria rookie contract
55:12 No handouts, earning his place
56:44 Chris Rogers' advice
58:06 Melbourne Stars experience
01:01:13 Haris Rauf and facing high pace
01:02:26 Batting clarity and staying still
01:08:09 Breathwork, recovery and professionalism
01:09:52 Downtime, music and Ronaldo
01:13:09 Outro
#Cricket #AryanSharma #AustraliaU19 #VictorianCricket #TheCerebralCricketer #CricketPodcast #CricketAustralia #MelbourneStars #CricketMindset

We sit down with Harjas Singh, one of the most exciting young left-handed batters in Australian cricket.
Harjas is a 2024 Under-19 World Cup winner, Australia's top scorer in the final against India, the Western Suburbs batter who smashed a record-breaking 314 off 141 balls, and has now earned his first NSW rookie contract.
In this conversation, Harjas opens up about what the NSW rookie contract means to him, how life changes when cricket becomes your profession, and the hard work still ahead as he looks to push towards a full contract and future BBL opportunities.
We also explore one of the most unique parts of Harjas' journey, his background in Sikh/Punjabi martial arts. Harjas explains how training with sticks and swords from a young age helped develop his wrist and arm strength, and how that physical base carries into his batting.
This episode also dives deep into the mental side of the game. Harjas shares how breathwork helps him manage adrenaline, calm his nerves, stay present, and avoid getting caught up in past failures or future outcomes.
He reflects on the mindset shift that helped him enjoy his cricket more, focus on his Monday to Friday preparation, and produce a breakout season in NSW Premier Cricket. 
A fascinating conversation on culture, power hitting, breathwork, pressure, staying present, and the journey from junior cricket to becoming a NSW professional.
Timestamps
00:00 Introduction
00:36 NSW rookie contract and becoming a pro
03:55 Punjabi martial arts and life outside cricket
08:30 Faith, adrenaline and demonstrations
10:00 How martial arts connects to batting
11:21 Breathwork and controlling nerves
14:02 Staying present and calm
16:10 Batting instincts, zones and the 314 mindset
19:14 Junior cricket, pressure and enjoying the game
22:23 Preparation over outcomes
23:44 Family, Westfields and his dad's influence
28:53 Facing genuine pace and Australia U19 selection
32:40 England U19 debut and Youth Test hundred
38:12 U19 World Cup memories
41:22 World Cup final against India
44:16 Sydney Sixers and learning from elite players
48:57 Breakout Premier Cricket season and adapting formats
52:19 Switching off between balls
54:35 Matchups, T20 batting and grade cricket lessons
57:12 Best players, hardest bowlers and best advice
01:00:10 Advice for young cricketers
01:00:59 Final words
#HarjasSingh #TheCerebralCricketer #CricketPodcast #NSWCricket #SydneySixers #U19WorldCup #AustralianCricket #PunjabiCricket #CricketMindset #BattingTips #Breathwork #CricketTraining