"That's Like Sticking A Knife Straight Into My Back": James Faulkner On BBL Coach After Leaving Hobart Hurricanes
Published - 03 Sep 2021, 03:54 PM | Updated - 23 Aug 2024, 12:52 AM
Star Australian all-rounder James Faulkner has opened about his exit from the Big Bash League (BBL) club Hobart Hurricanes. He told that a disrespectful and “embarrassing” offer led to him leaving Hurricanes. Also, Faulkner opened about Adam Griffith and said he stuck a knife into his back.
James Faulkner was one of the regular members of team Australia for a long time. Also in the 2015 ODI World Cup, he was awarded player of the match for his exceptional performance which helped his team winning the World Cup in front of 90,000+ fans at Melbourne Cricket Ground. However, he is no longer a member of Team Australia in any format. The all-rounder last played for Australia in 2017. However, in Big Bash League (BBL), he is one of the marquee players.
On Friday, Faulkner revealed his side of the story, admitting he was “shattered” to be insulted after joining team Hobart Hurricanes in BBL 2018 with a view to finishing his career at home. The Tasmanian native said he did not want to play for any other club in BBL and now will be shifting his focus on overseas T20 leagues instead of playing for any other club in BBL.
“It is very disappointing,” Faulkner told SEN.
“They brought an initial offer to my manager … it was pretty embarrassing.
“Pretty hard to take.
“Pretty disrespectful for what I’ve given to Tasmanian cricket. I’ve put my heart and soul into it … it cut pretty deep.
“They actually called me in before I went to the Pakistan Super League to apologize, and it still never got sorted out.
“They just left me in the background really after promising me they’d sort it.”
“I thought (he) was one of my mates as well as the head coach,”: James Faulkner on Adam Griffith
James Faulkner was interviewed by Australian Test captain Tim Paine, in his new radio program in which is talked about Adam Griffith and said:
“I thought (he) was one of my mates as well as the head coach,”
“(He said) the bowling group and the team have performed really well without me … we need to move on and that he didn’t really care.
“That’s like sticking a knife straight into my back.
“That’s not called for.”
Griffith insisted last week the club was “very keen to keep James”.
“Jimmy’s had a lot of injuries and hasn’t spent a lot of time on the park but when he has, he’s been really good,” he told cricket.com.au.
James Faulkner expressed his anger and further pinpointed that Griffith was “using” injuries against him.
“People don’t really know the whole story but that cut me deep,” he said.
“Last season I had an eight-week hamstring.
“I tried to come back in three and a half weeks and put my body on the line, so we had a shot at making finals.
“Which I was happy to do.
“But for the coach to use that against me I felt was wrong. Because it ended up costing myself when it came to other tournaments … I had to start rehab again.
“It’s all OK for them to say they want me but when they offered what they did … it was pretty clear they didn’t.”
Meanwhile, The Australian Test skipper Tim Paine was astonished to see that Hobart has let Faulkner go. While talking about Faulkner he even stated that “I haven’t seen him as upset as he is,”
