Western Australia’s new Sheffield Shield captain Aaron Hardie has declared that the once-dominant team, which has finished last for two consecutive seasons, is ready to stop dwelling on past achievements and instead forge its own path forward.
Hardie’s Vision for the Future
The all-rounder, who was officially named captain on Monday, emphasised that the squad does not want to keep recounting stories of their golden era from four or five years ago. “My philosophy is that we don’t want to keep telling stories, we want to write our own ones moving forward,” Hardie said.
Hardie, a key figure in WA’s unprecedented clean sweep of all three domestic titles in the 2021-22 and 2022-23 seasons, acknowledged the team’s recent struggles. After winning three straight Sheffield Shield titles, WA has collected consecutive wooden spoons over the past two summers. However, Hardie remains confident the side is close to returning to contention.
“We know we’re not far away. I reflect on a couple of games last year where I had opportunities to win for WA and couldn’t. If we had won those, the season would look very different and we’d likely be in the shield final mix again,” he added.
Leadership Transition
Hardie takes over the captaincy from Sam Whiteman, who led the side to the 2022-23 and 2023-24 titles as a stand-in for Mitch Marsh and held the role permanently for the last two seasons. Whiteman has signed with Yorkshire as a local player for the County Championship but will return to Australia before the summer to fulfill the final year of his WA contract.
Hardie expressed his gratitude for having both Whiteman and three-time BBL-winning captain Ashton Turner as resources. “Whitey’s been so successful for WA for a long time. Everyone loved playing under him. I’m excited to learn from him and bounce ideas off him,” Hardie said.
He also praised Turner’s aggressive leadership style: “AT is quite ruthless, very attacking, and goes on the front foot as often as possible. Having him and Sam to draw on will be a great combination for me.”
New Coach Partnership
Hardie will work alongside new head coach Beau Casson, who was promoted from assistant coach to replace Adam Voges. Hardie joked that Casson’s car has been parked at the WACA more than ever before, noting that Casson is “very passionate about WA cricket” and will be a massive asset.
Before leading WA in the Sheffield Shield, Hardie is set to return to Australia’s T20 side for a three-match tour of Bangladesh in June. His recall follows strong performances for Perth Scorchers in the BBL and Peshawar Zalmi in the Pakistan Super League. He will also play for San Francisco Unicorns in Major League Cricket before returning to Perth.
Aaron Hardie: Career Snapshot
- Born: Bournemouth, England
- Age: 27
- Position: All-rounder
- Sheffield Shield titles: 3 (2021-22, 2022-23, 2023-24)
- First Class batting: 2155 runs at 37.15, three centuries, 10 half-centuries
- First Class top score: 174 not out vs Victoria, 2021-22 Shield final
- First Class bowling: 74 wickets at 30.75
- Best First Class bowling: 4-24 vs Victoria, March 2022
- One-Day Cup titles: 2 (2021-22, 2022-23)
- Big Bash League titles: 2 (2022-23, 2025-26)
- ODI caps: 15, 180 runs at 15, 10 wickets at 39.20
- T20I caps: 16, 180 runs at 22.50, 13 wickets at 26.61
Hardie said he is looking forward to the next chapter with WA, determined to write a new narrative for the team.
