A dashing southpaw more suited for the shorter formats, Weatherald came to the limelight in the 2016-17 domestic season when he made his debut both in First-class and List A. His returns in the longest format has been decent but it's his form in white-ball cricket that excited everyone around him. Not only does the bloke average close to the mid-40s in List A, but also strikes them at over 100 - signs of an impact player.
Weatherald's exploits saw Weatherald earn a BBL contract with the Adelaide Strikers. Although he has shown glimpses of his potential so far, he hasn't been able to convert his starts into consistent knocks. The flair that he brings to the table makes Jake a tempting option at the top of the order but the Strikers will want more from him than just the cameos. It's early days in Weatherald's career and if he continues in the same vein, he could find a spot soon in Australia's limited-overs squads.
The 2017-18 Sheffield Shield season has seen him improve a lot in red-ball cricket as well - a fact that was showcased by his twin centuries against Western Australia. Even though it came on a good batting strip at the WACA, the hunger shown by Weatherald to improve his game in the longer format augurs well for his future. He is still mainly considered as a limited-overs specialist but considering that he is still very young, it won't be a surprise if he starts churning out runs across all formats.
By Hariprasad Sadanandan
