Who is Richard Gleeson, the 36-year-old former landscape gardener handed a CSK debut?
Richard Gleeson has been given an IPL debut for Chennai Super Kings against Punjab Kings today (May 1) – here’s all you need to know about the England right-arm pacer.
Gleeson was picked up by CSK as an injury replacement for Devon Conway, who was ruled out of the IPL with a broken thumb. While not a like-for-like replacement, CSK had to find a replacement for Mustafizur Rahman, who has been recalled by Bangladesh to play in their T20I series against Zimbabwe ahead of the T20 World Cup. Rahman is currently the second-leading wicket-taker in the competition, and will leave a void for CSK to fill.
Having played six T20Is all in 2022, Gleeson has international calibre to his name. A right-arm seamer who bowls at good pace, generally in the mid to late 80s mph, he took three wickets on T20I debut in 2022 against India, those wickets being Rohit Sharma, Rishabh Pant and Virat Kohli.
Richard Gleeson makes his IPL debut for CSK!
The 36-year-old English fast bowler only made his professional debut at the age of 27.#IPL2024 pic.twitter.com/8NeA52XNGf
— Wisden (@WisdenCricket) May 1, 2024
Gleeson has had a less than traditional rise to top-level cricket. He was given his first professional contract aged 27, having played in minor county cricket in England and for his local club, Blackpool CC. He also worked as a coach in Lancashire, and worked odd jobs including in a boiler factory, in a fishing tackle shop and as a landscape gardener. A stroke of luck came when he was talent-spotted playing minor county cricket, and recommended to Northamptonshire, who signed him on a pay-as-you-play basis, and handed him a first-class debut when Australia played a warm-up game against Northants in 2015. He dismissed both Marsh brothers and earned a three-year contract the following season.
He moved to Lancashire in 2018, and signed for Warwickshire at the end of last season. After he was called-up to the England Lions in 2020, a senior call-up came two years later. He has also played in the BBL for Melbourne Renegades, and in The Hundred for Manchester Originals, as well as the SA20, ILT20 and BPL. He has played 90 T20s, with 101 wickets at an economy rate of 8.18.
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