Despite numerous setbacks, including a freak leg injury that derailed Australia pacer Jason Behrendorff's IPL 2024 campaign and World Cup hopes, the 34-year-old remains optimistic and determined for a comeback. The left-arm pacer's recent journey in 2024 has been nothing short of eventful. In March, just days before he was to board a flight to India for the IPL, a freak injury at the WACA nets shattered his fibula. The injury couldn't have come at a worse time, especially as Behrendorff was in prime form and being touted as a contender for Australia's T20 World Cup squad.
But for Behrendorff, success isn't measured by the Baggy Green, but by the impact he's made in the game. "I've played two formats for Australia, I've played professionally for the best part of 15 years. Everyone's view of success is different," he told cricket.com.au.
The injury not only sidelined him from the IPL, where he had signed a lucrative Rs 75 lakh contract with the Mumbai Indians, but also dashed his hopes of representing Australia in the World Cup.
"It was probably the most angry and the most frustrated I've been after an injury, because it was so freakish. "It literally hit me flush and snapped my fibula," Behrendorff said, reflecting on the incident.
It was a crushing blow for the reigning Australian T20I cricketer of the year, who had hoped to use the IPL as a platform to prove his worth for the national squad.
"The feedback leading into the IPL was basically all the main bowlers in contention for that World Cup squad were playing in the IPL," he said.
But in true Behrendorff fashion, the pacer decided to take control of his future. He opted out of the final year of his state contract with Western Australia, informing high-performance boss
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Jason Behrendorff