The left-arm pacer's recent journey in 2024 has been eventful. In March, just days before boarding a flight to India for the IPL, a freak WACA nets injury shattered his fibula. The injury couldn't have come at a worse time, especially as Behrendorff was in excellent form and was touted as a contender for Australia's T20 World Cup squad.
But for Behrendorff, success is not measured by the Baggy Green, but by the impact he has had on 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 ended his hopes of representing Australia in the World Cup.
"It was probably the angriest and most frustrated I've ever been after an injury, because it was so strange. "He literally hit me and broke my fibula," Behrendorff said, reflecting on the incident.
It was a crushing blow for the reigning Australian T20I Cricketer of the Year, who was hoping to use the IPL as a platform to prove his worth to the national team.
"The response leading up to the IPL was that basically all the top bowlers in contention for that World Cup team were playing in the IPL," he said.
But in true Behrendorff style, 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 Kade Harvey and coach Adam Voges of his decision to pursue freelancing opportunities in global T20 leagues. Overnight, he went from representing Indians in Australia, WA and Mumbai to being a non-contracted freelancer.
"So that was a great opportunity to play well, to have a chance, and for me it was a case of, 'Well, I have nothing to lose. I know I'm not one of the top three to win.'" Being included in the team was me and realistically you're looking at Nathan Ellis, Sean Abbott, Spencer Johnson - it was probably the four of us competing for one or potentially two remaining spots.
“I was hoping to get a chance and playing well in the IPL was definitely a ticket to that.”
Despite the uncertainty, Behrendorff's return to cricket has been spectacular. In his first assignment, in the Sri Lanka Premier League, he lifted the trophy with Jaffna Kings. Just days later, he was helping the Toronto Nationals win the Global T20 Canada title, earning player of the match honors with a remarkable 3-8 in the final.
“I started my freelance campaign with two wins in two tournaments,” jokes Behrendorff. "If you want to win, pick me up!"
"The pinnacle of what little kids dream about is wanting to wear Baggy Green," Behrendorff acknowledged. "But the fact that I haven't played Test cricket does that mean I haven't had a successful career? I certainly don't think so."
Behrendorff's red-ball career, which saw him take 126 first-class wickets at an impressive average of 23.85, but his T20 journey is far from over. As T20 leagues continue to offer lucrative opportunities, Behrendorff believes more players will follow in his footsteps and opt to forgo state contracts in favor of the global T20 circuit.
“I think there will be cases of players stepping away from state deals in the future, especially with the way T20 cricket is shaping the game,” he said.
But for Behrendorff, success is not measured by the Baggy Green, but by the impact he has had on 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 ended his hopes of representing Australia in the World Cup.
"It was probably the angriest and most frustrated I've ever been after an injury, because it was so strange. "He literally hit me and broke my fibula," Behrendorff said, reflecting on the incident.
It was a crushing blow for the reigning Australian T20I Cricketer of the Year, who was hoping to use the IPL as a platform to prove his worth to the national team.
"The response leading up to the IPL was that basically all the top bowlers in contention for that World Cup team were playing in the IPL," he said.
But in true Behrendorff style, 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 Kade Harvey and coach Adam Voges of his decision to pursue freelancing opportunities in global T20 leagues. Overnight, he went from representing Indians in Australia, WA and Mumbai to being a non-contracted freelancer.
"So that was a great opportunity to play well, to have a chance, and for me it was a case of, 'Well, I have nothing to lose. I know I'm not one of the top three to win.'" Being included in the team was me and realistically you're looking at Nathan Ellis, Sean Abbott, Spencer Johnson - it was probably the four of us competing for one or potentially two remaining spots.
“I was hoping to get a chance and playing well in the IPL was definitely a ticket to that.”
Despite the uncertainty, Behrendorff's return to cricket has been spectacular. In his first assignment, in the Sri Lanka Premier League, he lifted the trophy with Jaffna Kings. Just days later, he was helping the Toronto Nationals win the Global T20 Canada title, earning player of the match honors with a remarkable 3-8 in the final.
“I started my freelance campaign with two wins in two tournaments,” jokes Behrendorff. "If you want to win, pick me up!"
"The pinnacle of what little kids dream about is wanting to wear Baggy Green," Behrendorff acknowledged. "But the fact that I haven't played Test cricket does that mean I haven't had a successful career? I certainly don't think so."
Behrendorff's red-ball career, which saw him take 126 first-class wickets at an impressive average of 23.85, but his T20 journey is far from over. As T20 leagues continue to offer lucrative opportunities, Behrendorff believes more players will follow in his footsteps and opt to forgo state contracts in favor of the global T20 circuit.
“I think there will be cases of players stepping away from state deals in the future, especially with the way T20 cricket is shaping the game,” he said.
