Australian Cricketers in Serbia
A big hit in the Balkans: Aussie expats find a second cricketing chance
Fledgling European cricket tournaments are giving Australian players another opportunity to play at the international level
Expat Australian Jeff
Grzinic (right) with Croatian team-mates Michael Grzinic (left) and Pero
Kastelan. Photograph: Courtesy of Jeff Grzinic
Chortling, along with a few giggles tinged with embarrassment, consume the innards of the minibus chugging into the wilderness.
Flatulence has triggered mirth from the passengers, comprised entirely of males. Predictably, the ambience is marked with testosterone. Banter, sport chit-chat and an array of juvenile antics occupy the banal bus journey. Boys will be boys. In other words, it's an archetypal cricket tour.
For one of the passengers, however, it's anything but normality. Joel Kelly still finds himself shaking his head in bemusement. How did I get here? It's a question Kelly often ponders.
Twelve months ago the Perth lad followed in the frenetic footsteps of many twentysomethings. He traded profession for backpacking and ventured on an indefinite European sojourn. He pictured adventure, revelry and perhaps some casual work to help prolong the jaunt.
It's doubtful he could have ever envisaged travelling on a bus in Bucharest as a member of the Serbian cricket team.
During his first season playing cricket in Serbia, Kelly established himself as the best batsman in the country. This was not entirely surprising considering Serbian cricket's mostly remembered internationally for being lampooned in Angus Bell's hilarious madcap travelogue Batting on the Bosphorus.
In his international cricket debut, the belligerent opener won player of the tournament to spearhead Serbia's competitive performance during a four-nation Twenty20 event in Romania.
It's not a sentence Kelly ever imagined would be written about him, but life on the road can take many unexpected roundabouts.
After being besotted by a Balkan beauty, Belgrade became Kelly's home abroad. The days drifting off the beaten track had ceased, as Kelly resumed employment and a more prosaic lifestyle ensued.
The drudgery of the working world and being in a foreign land away from friends and family had started to become a scourge. The boredom bane had to be tempered.
Like many down under, cricket had been Kelly's sporting pursuit as a youngster. It was a pastime he was particularly talented at. Playing grade cricket as a teenager had Kelly dreaming of one day wearing the baggy green.
But study, work and all the shenanigans associated with the infant stages of adulthood had consigned cricket to the scrapheap.
Kelly thought his competitive cricket days were a fading memory until a light bulb shone in his brain.
I should play cricket again. Wait, is cricket actually played in Serbia? Kelly would soon realise the quaint British game was making inroads in this cricket wasteland. After being discouraged during the 20th century for being "bourgeois", cricket has started to shed its "British snobbery" stereotype in Serbia.
"I wasn't necessarily surprised to find cricket played here but I thought it would entirely comprise locals," Kelly admits. "The local guys on the team are really passionate. It's amazing. It's a fledgling sport in Serbia but some of these guys are so knowledgeable and just love the game.
"Unsurprisingly the standard isn't anything like grade cricket in Australia. The Serbian guys are still learning how to play the game. That's why it's important for us expats to provide mentoring and help raise the standard of competition."
Rekindling his love for wielding the willow has been cathartic for Kelly. "I forgot how much I love playing the game and being part of a team," he says.
"Initially I played because I was getting bored in Belgrade and wanted to keep fit. But playing here has gone beyond my expectations."
Australian cricketers are scattered across the vast European continent. Some stumble into it in random Kelly style. Professional cricketers such as South Australian batsman Tom Cooper (Netherlands) represent their mother country in a bid to realise a dream of playing international cricket. Ditto for retired Australian and Tasmanian cricketer Michael Di Venuto, who played in Italy's failed Twenty20 World Cup qualifying bid last year.
For others, the European journey goes beyond cricket fulfilment. Reconnecting with heritage and developing a strong affinity with ancestry is the motivator for Jeff Grzinic.
Grzinic spent his formative years oblivious to his Croatian background. He had never been attached to his roots.
Grzinic was addicted to cricket at an early age. Grzinic played first grade cricket in Perth, but as a self-confessed "hard-working batsman", was never destined to become a professional cricketer.
Ten years ago, an unexpected phone-call changed his life. That may appear a blatant violation of hyperbole but its apt here.
Playing international cricket for Croatia during the European summer, was propositioned. Fast forward a decade, and Grzinic has found unexpected serenity in a Croatian "baggy red".
"Cricket kick-started my interest with my heritage, and I've been able to really get to know my family and Croatia," he says.
As someone who could arm-wrestle Mike Hussey for the Mr Cricket moniker, Grzinic relishes the opportunity to develop Croatian cricket. Contrary to perception, Grzinic believes playing in the cricket wilderness has honed his cricket skill set.
"You get very precious as a pennant cricketer in a strong cricketing country like Australia," Grzinic says. "Playing in Europe forces you to continually adapt your game to differing conditions, not only weather but the grounds, lack of practice facilities and the general playing standards."
Grzinic recently released his memoir, Machine Guns and Cricket Bats, and believes the work is not the culmination of his European cricket expedition, because for Grzinic, the journey is the reward.
Whilst Grzinic's quest has been emotive, Hayden Patrizi's pathway to Europe had its genesis in comical fashion.
Former Australia coach Tim Nielsen used to bombard Patrizi with barbs that would have impressed David Warner. "When I was at the Cricket Australia Academy of Excellence, Nielsen used to stir me up by sledging 'stop wasting your time here and play in Italy'," Patrizi chuckles.
A precocious wicketkeeper, Patrizi represented Western Australia at various junior levels and was on the fringe of state selection as a member of WA's second XI squad.
But a first-class career was agonisingly beyond his grasp. Perhaps it was Nielsen's banter that planted the seed. Perhaps it was the chance to be acquainted with his heritage, perhaps the opportunity to play international cricket was too tempting. Maybe it was all of the above.
Eventually, Patrizi starred for the Italian national team and showcased his prodigious ability in some of Europe's elitist cricket competitions.
"Italy are in division one in Europe and are one of the strongest teams over there," Patrizi says.
"The team is mainly propped up by expats – especially with a wave of people from the sub-continent immigrating to Italy in the past decade. But it was good to start seeing some Italians playing the game.
"I think the rise of T20 can help cricket's appeal. It's fast, exciting and relatively easy to understand. I think some of the top European teams can become pretty competitive at T20 in the future."
Cricket is unshackling its British imperialist origins and spreading to new frontiers. Expect more Australians to seek solace in cricket beyond the conventional boundaries.
Flatulence has triggered mirth from the passengers, comprised entirely of males. Predictably, the ambience is marked with testosterone. Banter, sport chit-chat and an array of juvenile antics occupy the banal bus journey. Boys will be boys. In other words, it's an archetypal cricket tour.
For one of the passengers, however, it's anything but normality. Joel Kelly still finds himself shaking his head in bemusement. How did I get here? It's a question Kelly often ponders.
Twelve months ago the Perth lad followed in the frenetic footsteps of many twentysomethings. He traded profession for backpacking and ventured on an indefinite European sojourn. He pictured adventure, revelry and perhaps some casual work to help prolong the jaunt.
It's doubtful he could have ever envisaged travelling on a bus in Bucharest as a member of the Serbian cricket team.
During his first season playing cricket in Serbia, Kelly established himself as the best batsman in the country. This was not entirely surprising considering Serbian cricket's mostly remembered internationally for being lampooned in Angus Bell's hilarious madcap travelogue Batting on the Bosphorus.
In his international cricket debut, the belligerent opener won player of the tournament to spearhead Serbia's competitive performance during a four-nation Twenty20 event in Romania.
It's not a sentence Kelly ever imagined would be written about him, but life on the road can take many unexpected roundabouts.
After being besotted by a Balkan beauty, Belgrade became Kelly's home abroad. The days drifting off the beaten track had ceased, as Kelly resumed employment and a more prosaic lifestyle ensued.
The drudgery of the working world and being in a foreign land away from friends and family had started to become a scourge. The boredom bane had to be tempered.
Like many down under, cricket had been Kelly's sporting pursuit as a youngster. It was a pastime he was particularly talented at. Playing grade cricket as a teenager had Kelly dreaming of one day wearing the baggy green.
But study, work and all the shenanigans associated with the infant stages of adulthood had consigned cricket to the scrapheap.
Kelly thought his competitive cricket days were a fading memory until a light bulb shone in his brain.
I should play cricket again. Wait, is cricket actually played in Serbia? Kelly would soon realise the quaint British game was making inroads in this cricket wasteland. After being discouraged during the 20th century for being "bourgeois", cricket has started to shed its "British snobbery" stereotype in Serbia.
"I wasn't necessarily surprised to find cricket played here but I thought it would entirely comprise locals," Kelly admits. "The local guys on the team are really passionate. It's amazing. It's a fledgling sport in Serbia but some of these guys are so knowledgeable and just love the game.
"Unsurprisingly the standard isn't anything like grade cricket in Australia. The Serbian guys are still learning how to play the game. That's why it's important for us expats to provide mentoring and help raise the standard of competition."
Rekindling his love for wielding the willow has been cathartic for Kelly. "I forgot how much I love playing the game and being part of a team," he says.
"Initially I played because I was getting bored in Belgrade and wanted to keep fit. But playing here has gone beyond my expectations."
Australian cricketers are scattered across the vast European continent. Some stumble into it in random Kelly style. Professional cricketers such as South Australian batsman Tom Cooper (Netherlands) represent their mother country in a bid to realise a dream of playing international cricket. Ditto for retired Australian and Tasmanian cricketer Michael Di Venuto, who played in Italy's failed Twenty20 World Cup qualifying bid last year.
For others, the European journey goes beyond cricket fulfilment. Reconnecting with heritage and developing a strong affinity with ancestry is the motivator for Jeff Grzinic.
Grzinic spent his formative years oblivious to his Croatian background. He had never been attached to his roots.
Grzinic was addicted to cricket at an early age. Grzinic played first grade cricket in Perth, but as a self-confessed "hard-working batsman", was never destined to become a professional cricketer.
Ten years ago, an unexpected phone-call changed his life. That may appear a blatant violation of hyperbole but its apt here.
Playing international cricket for Croatia during the European summer, was propositioned. Fast forward a decade, and Grzinic has found unexpected serenity in a Croatian "baggy red".
"Cricket kick-started my interest with my heritage, and I've been able to really get to know my family and Croatia," he says.
As someone who could arm-wrestle Mike Hussey for the Mr Cricket moniker, Grzinic relishes the opportunity to develop Croatian cricket. Contrary to perception, Grzinic believes playing in the cricket wilderness has honed his cricket skill set.
"You get very precious as a pennant cricketer in a strong cricketing country like Australia," Grzinic says. "Playing in Europe forces you to continually adapt your game to differing conditions, not only weather but the grounds, lack of practice facilities and the general playing standards."
Grzinic recently released his memoir, Machine Guns and Cricket Bats, and believes the work is not the culmination of his European cricket expedition, because for Grzinic, the journey is the reward.
Whilst Grzinic's quest has been emotive, Hayden Patrizi's pathway to Europe had its genesis in comical fashion.
Former Australia coach Tim Nielsen used to bombard Patrizi with barbs that would have impressed David Warner. "When I was at the Cricket Australia Academy of Excellence, Nielsen used to stir me up by sledging 'stop wasting your time here and play in Italy'," Patrizi chuckles.
A precocious wicketkeeper, Patrizi represented Western Australia at various junior levels and was on the fringe of state selection as a member of WA's second XI squad.
But a first-class career was agonisingly beyond his grasp. Perhaps it was Nielsen's banter that planted the seed. Perhaps it was the chance to be acquainted with his heritage, perhaps the opportunity to play international cricket was too tempting. Maybe it was all of the above.
Eventually, Patrizi starred for the Italian national team and showcased his prodigious ability in some of Europe's elitist cricket competitions.
"Italy are in division one in Europe and are one of the strongest teams over there," Patrizi says.
"The team is mainly propped up by expats – especially with a wave of people from the sub-continent immigrating to Italy in the past decade. But it was good to start seeing some Italians playing the game.
"I think the rise of T20 can help cricket's appeal. It's fast, exciting and relatively easy to understand. I think some of the top European teams can become pretty competitive at T20 in the future."
Cricket is unshackling its British imperialist origins and spreading to new frontiers. Expect more Australians to seek solace in cricket beyond the conventional boundaries.
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