Billy Stanlake opens up on injury hell and return to cricket with Tasmania, Hobart Hurricanes

For Billy Stanlake, it represented much more.

The 204cm quick, who burst onto the domestic scene in 2015 and debuted for Australia inside 15 months, has had a wretched run with injury.

Stanlake thought he was over the worst of his injury issues by 22 years of age, having overcome back stress fractures, a pelvis concern, broken finger and infected toe.

But Stanlake’s promising career was stalled in 2021 when he sustained another back stress fracture while playing county cricket for Derbyshire.

That was March, 2021.

Stanlake has not featured in a first-class game since and his Marsh Cup return on September 25 ended an absence of 866 days at domestic level.

“The back was good for a long time and I probably thought I was through that process of getting stress fractures,” Stanlake said.

“It was unfortunate for it to happen, but that’s how it goes. Hopefully not too many more injuries going forward. Hopefully all the major ones are done now.”

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Stanlake was almost ready to reignite his career in January, 2022, when he reaggravated the back stress fracture he had worked almost a year to overcome.

“Early doors you can’t really do anything really. You’ve just got to let the bone settle and start that healing process,” he said.

“Then you just gradually work your way into doing some stuff in the gym, some walking, some bike stuff.

“Eventually once the bone has done a certain amount of healing you can slowly start running again. Then you just keep building it up.

“Obviously to start bowling, walk through stuff and it’s just a very gradual slow process until your bone is fully healed and you’re ready to get back to full tilt.”

Stanlake is full of praise for the medical team in Tasmania, who guided him through the second recovery after he shifted states from Queensland.

Just as Stanlake was on the cusp of letting rip for Tasmania last summer, his hamstring had other ideas.

It was a setback which, as he explains, effectively ended his 2022 campaign.

“That put me out for another eight weeks which was pretty much the season, the white-ball stuff which I was just returning for,” he said.

“That sort of cost me last season as well. That was a bit of a frustrating one.

“Luckily, I had a pretty good off-season. Went up to Darwin, got some cricket in. Then went to Brisbane for a few weeks, got some more cricket in.”

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Google Billy Stanlake and you will find one of the most asked questions is – what happened to Billy Stanlake?

It’s a fair question.

Stanlake shot to prominence with a much-hyped T20 debut in February, 2017, when he made history as the tallest cricketer to play for Australia.

It was an inauspicious start.

Stanlake shared the new ball with Pat Cummins against Sri Lanka, conceding six boundaries in three overs which cost 42 runs.

His next opportunity in green and gold was a year away, but it vindicated the hype which followed Stanlake in the early years of his career.

Kiwi Colin Munro skied a pull shot off the first ball Stanlake bowled, which was clocked at 144km/h.

When Alex Carey completed the catch, Stanlake’s hugely promising international career was off and running.

It went into overdrive the next ball when he rattled Martin Guptill’s stumps with a 146km/h thunderbolt.

“I remember being really nervous before the game,” he said.

“I think I’d only played (three) games (a T20 and two ODIs) before that which were 12 months prior,” he said.

“So I sort of knew it was a bit of an opportunity to cement myself in the team. I was very nervous that night and I think it was a wicket with my first ball.

“That relieved the nerves a little bit and I think mum and dad were in the crowd. They enjoyed that night.”

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Nivethan Radhakrishnan was 14 when Stanlake made his Australian debut.

One of the rising stars of Australian cricket, Radhakrishnan is now Stanlake’s teammate in Tasmania.

The 20-year-old has played with and against the towering speedster and can understand why Stanlake’s debut was met with such fervour.

“When he played for Australia I was nowhere at this level of cricket,” Radhakrishnan said.

“You kind of don’t realise. But seeing where he is now, I kind of understand how he was playing for Australia a couple of years ago. That’s how good he is.

“He’s an exciting bowler. I’m really keen to see how well he goes across this season.

“Hopefully there’s no other injuries or niggles for him to deal with and he just gets back to his best. I think he’s well and truly on his way.”

Another Tasmanian teammate, Beau Webster, agrees.
“We need to manage him so when we do get him on the park he’s going to stay on the park,” Webster said.

“We all know how good he is. He’s a monster and can bowl upwards of 140km/h and swing the ball.

“I’m not really looking forward to facing him (in the BBL) if he gets on a quick wicket.

“Everyone loves Bill, he’s a very popular member of the group. Just wish him some injury free years ahead so he can get back to his best.”

Whether he can reach that level again remains to be seen, but Stanlake isn’t going to die wondering.

Searing pace has been Stanlake’s weapon throughout his career and although the threat of another injury always lingers, he refuses to let that fear hold him back.

“Sometimes when you feel a bit tight you’re like, ‘is that something?’ It is a bit like that early on,” he said.

“I think the more you start bowling again and the more games you start getting through the confidence just grows.

“It’s easier to keep it going when you’re back up and playing.

“The hardest part is when you’ve been injured for a long time and you start again.

“Hopefully starting to get through that process now where I can have a pretty consistent run of playing time. Hopefully I can just keep it going.”

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Stanlake is philosophical about the injury pain he has endured.

After all, he is not the only fast bowler to be struck down by stress fractures.

Australian captain Cummins suffered the same fate as a young bowler, while back issues ended the Test career of James Pattinson.

It is an all too familiar tale in Australian fast bowling and understandably one Stanlake is hoping is behind him.

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“I knew (with) all the work I put in, it’s going to come good at some point. Not everything is meant to be easy,” he said.

“Sometimes you’ve got to go through a bit of hard stuff and some challenges. I never looked too far ahead of got down on myself. It is what it is.

“That was my mentality and I think that’s probably held me in good stead.”