Episodes
It's the end of our twelve months in the company of our Hitman for Hire, so in this final episode of the series David looks back at the year as a whole and picks his highlights, lowlights and shares some more great stories from the circuit. Find out which of David's teams he thinks would win a round-robin tournament, which superstar is most unlike their on-field persona behind the scenes, the order in which David would rank the tournaments he's played in over the year, the teammate habit that...
Published 05/13/24
It's February 2024 and David opens up about a difficult time playing for Joburg Super Kings in the SA20, the final tournament of our year together. We learn how past performances count for nothing if you don't make a good first impression with a coach, how quickly pre-tournament assurances can disappear and how difficult it is to break into a starting XI once you've been left out. We examine the pros and cons of staying at home rather than in a team hotel, choosing between tournaments and the...
Published 05/06/24
It's December 2023 and David has just returned from the Abu Dhabi T10 where he was playing for losing finalists, Deccan Gladiators. Is T10 a format the players take seriously? Are we at 'peak franchise'? Who does this tournament exist for? Could T10 be the perfect format for growing the game globally? How do players protect themselves from corruption? Also on the agenda: hourly rates, the Rugby 7s of cricket, who is known as Mr. T10, why saving your best performances for the Abu Dhabi T10...
Published 04/29/24
It's late November 2023 and - away from the glitz and glamour of the big franchise leagues - David is representing Nambia in their bid to qualify for the 2024 T20 World Cup. We find out why a franchise cricketer earning big money still chooses to turn out for an adopted nation in relatively low-key qualifying tournaments, and explore the reality of life for those associate cricketers without David's profile. We also hear how David is coming to terms with not being retained for the 2024...
Published 04/22/24
It's November 2023 and David is at home in Pretoria. After more than eight months of almost uninterrupted travel, he's finally had the chance to enjoy an extended spell at home. As well as exploring what a franchise cricketer gets up to when he's not at a tournament, the conversation digs deeper into David's relationship with the sport that has become his livelihood. Also on the agenda: not being recognised by your kids, the anxieties of unemployment, why loving the game can be bad for your...
Published 04/14/24
COMING SOON: Bonus episode! David will be answering YOUR questions about the life of a franchise cricketer. Get in touch via the methods below. It's September 2023, and David has recently returned from playing for Northern Superchargers in English cricket's other short-form competition. The Hundred has provoked plenty of debate since its inception in 2021, so it was perhaps appropriate that - as well as looking back at his experience in the tournament itself - David gave a player's view on...
Published 04/08/24
COMING SOON: Bonus episode! David will be answering YOUR questions about the life of a franchise cricketer. Get in touch via the methods below. It's August 2023 and David has recently left the USA where he was playing for MI New York in the first edition of Major League Cricket. We discover how the American people responded to the tournament, how players made the most of American culture and plenty more. On the agenda: playing cricket at baseball stadiums, no nets to train in, tech finance,...
Published 04/01/24
COMING SOON: Bonus episode! David will be answering YOUR questions about the life of a franchise cricketer. Get in touch via the methods below. It's the end of June 2023, and David and his Yorkshire Vikings have one game remaining in the group stage of the Vitality Blast. David has had a decent tournament with bat and ball, but his role off the pitch at a club still dealing with the aftermath of a racism scandal has been almost as important. He highlights the many differences of playing for a...
Published 03/25/24
COMING SOON: Bonus episode! David will be answering YOUR questions about the life of a franchise cricketer. Get in touch via the methods below. It's May 2023 and David looks back at a disappointing IPL for him and his team Kolkata Knight Riders. He discusses adjusting to being part of a squad but not playing regularly, and gives an insider's view of how a team reacts when things don't go their way. On the agenda: birthday cake in the face, entering the orbit of MS Dhoni, social media...
Published 03/18/24
It's early April 2023, and David is settling in at the IPL where he is representing Kolkata Knight Riders. He recounts a dramatic night on and off the pitch at the PSL final, before letting us in on the build up and start of the biggest T20 tournament of the year. On the agenda: being overtaken by a teammate on the way out to bat, how to pack for four months away, the inner workings of the IPL auction, avoiding being part of a music video, Andre Russell's advice on crowd management, trying to...
Published 03/11/24
It's late February 2023, and we begin our year in the life of a franchise cricketer by joining David Wiese in Pakistan where he's playing in the PSL for Lahore Qalandars. On the agenda: armoured buses, iPhones to encourage effort in the field, an inflatable heart for Rashid Khan, Haris Rauf losing his head, some of the most fanatical supporters in the world and plenty more! David's POTM performance with the ball against Islamabad United: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Or2KCbS1YM David's...
Published 03/11/24
How does Brexit combine with cricket's T20 gold rush to create our Hitman for Hire? In the first episode of Hitman for Hire - A year in the life of a franchise cricketer, professional cricketer David Wiese explains how the loss of a full-time contract in English county cricket led him to become a freelancer, earning his living from one T20 tournament to another. David's ESPNCricinfo profile: www.espncricinfo.com/cricketers/david-wiese-221140 David in action back in his Sussex days:...
Published 03/11/24
New episodes every Monday. Pro cricketer David Wiese reveals all about life in the world’s biggest T20 leagues. In candid conversations with host, Sam Keir, the all-rounder takes us behind the scenes at the Pakistan Super League, Indian Premier League, Vitality Blast, Major League Cricket, The Hundred, Abu Dhabi T10 and SA 20. Discover the truth about sharing a dressing room (and hotels, planes, restaurants, golf courses...) with the biggest names in world cricket. Follow the...
Published 02/19/24