“Bit Of X-factor”: Mahela Jayawardena’s Big Praise For Australia’s New Big-Hitter

All eyes are on Tim David as the big-hitter gears up for his maiden series in Australia colours in a three-match T20I contest in India, starting on Tuesday. The Aaron Finch-led team is looking to cash in on his big-hitting finishing abilities when they defend their T20 World Cup title at home from next month. David, 26, made his T20I debut for Singapore in 2019 and has played 14 matches, scoring 558 runs at a strike rate of 158.52. He also impressed in patches for Mumbai Indians in IPL 2022.

Former Sri Lanka captain Mahela Jayawardena, who has seen David from close quarters at Mumbai Indians, praised the batter.

“I think he is going to have free range (to score freely) and the good thing is that there are no expectations on him,” Jayawardena told in The ICC Review.

“Personally, I think that’s a great space to be in. Australia have a very, very good line-up and Tim is going to bring that little bit of x-factor if they want to use that at the No.6 role, which they need a big hitter and explosive hitter. So, brilliant for Australia to fall back on someone like that, having those options.”

Recently, former Australia opener Matthew Hayden hailed him as a “massive X-Factor” and said he has “killer instincts” in “heaps and bounds”.

“Absolutely, I think he is a massive X-factor. He is a big, powerful young fellow who has got a power game,” Hayden said in a press conference responding to an NDTV question.

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“The challenge for him will be to show it for the team in yellow and green. Once you get to that international stage, it is a completely different ball game. You need to have that solid foundation behind you. But X-factor, yes 100 per cent agree,” he continued.

“If you look at the Australian team, it is missing that X-factor at the moment to be honest. Form of Aaron Finch is questionable, you have some other great names that are also X-factors like Maxwell, he can play both orthodox and unorthodox shots. Tim David, nothing beats power in T20 cricket,” the legendary batter said.