Scariest quick in the Big Bash
HE could pass for an extra on Sons of Anarchy.
His Sydney Thunder teammates have started calling him Ragnar Lodbrok, from the TV series Vikings.
Kiwi fast bowler Mitchell McClenaghan is frightening with the ball and even scarier in appearance with his beard, fresh haircut and 107kg frame.
The Adelaide Strikers will be worried tonight when McClenaghan and the Thunder roll into town aiming for two wins in the space of four days.
“My mum has been trying to get me to lose the beard for a while now, and now I’ve got this new fade (haircut). It’s taken it to a new level,’’ McClenaghan said.
“I’m starting to take a few risks as I get older. I waited two and a half hours for a decent hairdresser, so I took a punt on a barber around the corner.
“Benny Rohrer has started calling me Ragnar Lodbrok from Vikings. He thinks it’s hilarious.’’
The 31-year-old left-armer was part of New Zealand’s 2015 one-day World Cup campaign, but missed out on the MCG final against Australia. Later that year he was brought in as cover for the injured Tim Southee, but was again not required for the Test in Perth.
The son of a meat worker who spent brief stints in Townsville and Inverell, in NSW, before returning to Auckland when he was 10, McClenaghan grew up admiring Australian cricketers, especially Michael Bevan.
A consistent wicket-taker in the Indian Premier League — he will be one of the most indemand players to go under the hammer at next year’s auction, as McClenaghan was the third quickest bowler to reach 50 IPL scalps.
While he would add to his 48 ODIs and 28 T20s for New Zealand, winning the BBL is McClenaghan’s first priority.
He made quite the impression taking 2-25 in Tuesday night’s final-ball victory over the Sydney Sixers.
“The short-term goal is to win this, I want to win the Big Bash, it looks outstanding, I play in a lot of teams, and a lot of the time the motivation comes from the players you play with,’’ McClenaghan said.
“I can safely say this is like being home in Auckland where there is not a bloke you wouldn’t want to play for, wouldn’t want to win for or go into the trenches with.”