Biography

Before becoming a full-time cricketer, Benjamin Hilfenhaus was a brick layer. His previous profession seems to have helped him indirectly as his strong arms can now hurl the red cherry at a menacing pace of 140 kph consistently. Born in Tasmania, he made his debut against Queensland in 2005 and took 39 wickets at an average of 30.82 in his inaugural season.

Ben’s performances earned him a call-up to the Australian under-19 team and just two years into his domestic entry, he played his first international T20 for Australia against England. He then went on to make his first ODI appearance against New Zealand in 2007. His first Test was against South Africa in 2009 in which he claimed 3 wickets in a winning cause. Ben was included in the Ashes squad that year after Brett Lee was ruled out due to an injury, a series in which he came of age.

Hilfenhaus uses his height to generate steep bounce and is also capable of swinging the ball both ways. His most noted skill is his ability to move the ball away, naturally from the right-hander. He possesses the additional capability of bowling long spells. The Tasmanian may be the talking point of many in the international cricket fraternity but he himself, is a quiet bloke who lets the ball do the talking. 'Hilfy' as he is fondly known as, didn't feature in the Indian T20 league until 2012, when Chennai signed him up. They were impressed with his performances and hence, he was retained for the next two seasons as well.