It’s not by chance that England’s Tymal Mills bagged contracts in T20 leagues around the world. He was a left-arm quick though. Here is Australia’s newest T20 weapon who might have been discovered out of obscurity. Right-arm fast 22-year old Aaron Summers, Tasmania’s best-kept secret and perhaps a lethal yet underutilized weapon.

Raw pace, extravagant bounce, batsmen jumping around the crease trying to fend the delivery away let alone score of it. He’s an out-and-out fast bowler. A tear-away quick if you would like to put it that way. He’s everything a fast bowler would ever want to be. His searing quick bouncers could cut your bat in half. You are most certainly battling for your safety than to protect your stumps. His pace has been so unforgiving in the Northern Territory Strike League games that he once landed a rival batsman in the hospital with a fractured finger and a smashed knuckle.

On Tuesday night, he was listening to the Pakistan Super League’s player draft in the background when two hours into the draft, Karachi Kings snapped him up in the Silver category. He will join the likes of Colin Ingram, Colin Munro, Mohammad Amir, Ravi Bopara, Imad Wasim and Ben Dunk to name a few. While this is just his second T20 league after Big Bash, it’s his first overseas league after failing to gain attractions of franchises in the CPL and IPL last year.

Aaron Summers Looking To Turn The Heat Up

Ian Pont, fast bowling coach with coaching experience in the Bangladesh Premier League and PSL, has already called Aaron Summers as the ‘sensational find of the entire PSL.’

Those who have been associated with him would say his bowling is deadly and aggressive but off the field, he is disarmingly less intimidating. A soft-spoken and a humble guy, he’s thankful for the opportunity and the faith Karachi Kings have put in his capabilities. After all, his CV boasts of a lone outing with Hobart Hurricanes last season, four List A games for Tasmania and a strong baseball pedigree.

Bred in Perth, firing it up for Tasmania he grew up playing a plethora of ball games. Football in winters; T-ball, softball and baseball in summers but bowling fast is what he loved the most. Intimidating people and bowling as quick as he can.

“I played tee ball, softball and baseball growing up and started playing cricket when I was 13 because my friends that I played football with also played cricket together. I always liked cricket but only played in the backyard until 13.”

Given his previous baseball interests, it hints at his death over ball-striking abilities that could furthermore strengthen his skill set and see him shape himself as an all-rounder. Maybe as a pinch-hitter like Mitchell McClenaghan down the order.

For now, his focus remains on modelling his plans to bowl on flat, dry pitches in the UAE and taking pace off the ball in addition to putting in as much as he can. “I have never been to the UAE or Pakistan before but I have played in the heat and humidity in Darwin so hopefully that helps me! I am well aware the pitches won’t bounce as much and will be slower so I’m going to be hopefully using my slower balls to good effect. “

Mark Sorell, High-Performance manager in the Northern Territory put in a few good words through to Ryan Harris, whose “ears pricked up” and flew him down to National Cricket Center in Brisbane this year. The former Aussie Test quick had a good look at Summers as he was asked to bowl against some of the members of the Australia A squad. “It was a little bit rushed, but it was good to get him down and see him bowl in the flesh,” Harris told Cricket Australia. “I was pretty impressed to be honest.”

“I had good fun in Brisbane for the few days that I was at the BUPA NCC, there wasn’t really any advice given because I was only there for two days so that they could see me bowl live in person” recollects Summers. “It worked out really well because I was offered a rookie contract by Tasmania on the day I left Brisbane to go back to Darwin.”

Speed guns reached as high as 152 kilometres per hour in his lone outing in the Big Bash against the Melbourne Renegades. While one day he aims to bowl as quick as 160 kph, something achieved till date only by Brett Lee, Mitchell Starc and Shoaib Akhtar but he remains optimistic at the idea of its possibility.

A nasty delivery from Tigers speedster Aaron Summers here – thankfully Charlie Hemphrey has been given the all clear to continue by the doctor Watch a free live stream here: https://t.co/ZNaPVApjaR #JLTCup pic.twitter.com/Obm8EHYFTv — cricket.com.au (@cricketcomau) September 22, 2018

With T20 leagues focussing on young talents, Summers will set a classic precedent of “potential over experience” when he dons the red and blue jersey in February shortly after the Big Bash concludes. He’s particularly looking forward to meet Wasim Akram, former Pakistan pacer and the President of Karachi Kings.

“I’m excited to meet Wasim Akram. I know he is an absolute genius with the ball and is a big figure in Pakistani cricket, hopefully, I can learn something from him as well. I’m going to put my name up for the IPL auction and potentially a few more T20 tournaments that are in the Australian winter.”