Tara Murray
It’s been a stunning rise for Peter Hatzoglou who has gone from playing for Sunshine Heights in division 3 in Victorian Turf Cricket Association in 2017, to being called up to the Melbourne Renegades squad.
Having played just 10 first XI premier cricket games, Hatzoglou was called up as a local replacement player for the Renegades for their first two matches, due to other players having Australia A commitments.
Speaking before the Big Bash got underway last week, Hatzoglou said he was pretty excited about getting the opportunity to be with the squad.
“It’s been a pretty crazy season really,” he said.
“I went to Adelaide at the beginning of the season trying to get a gig over there and it’s all sort of happened quickly.
“I got the call last week and was told to fly down from Adelaide as soon as you can.
“I’d been talking with the Renegades and I was involved with South Australia in an emerging program, so I sort of felt like I was in and around the level… I was hoping it would come.
“Maybe it came a bit sooner than thought it would.”
Hatzoglou will be with the team for the first two games, but he was unsure what would happen after that.
He trained with the group for the first time last Tuesday, before practice matches the following day.
He said he was just looking to make the most of the opportunity.
“To be honest, I feel like I’m ready to go out there and give it a real good go, if I do find myself lucky to get a game,“ he said.
“I’ll try and get a game in the Big Bash and try and lap that up as much as I can. If not, it’s still a great experience to get amongst guys the likes of Shaun Marsh, Benny Howell the list goes on. Kane Richardson… And Aaron Finch obviously.
“At the minute it’s a two game thing, but I’m hoping it will potentially be more games, if not this season, next season.”
For Hatzoglou this is the latest achievement in a crazy ride the last few years.
After moving to Melbourne University for the 2017-18 season, he moved from the fifths to be part of a third XI premiership.
He was then part of a second XI premiership the following season, before making his first XI debut last season as the club finished on top of the ladder.
“Three seasons ago I was playing at Sunshine Heights and then sort of went to premier cricket,” he said.
“I think I’ve only lost about 10 games in the last three to four seasons, it’s been a pretty crazy ride for me. And now I’m in Adelaide.”
Hatzoglou said he would have loved to have made his first XI debut earlier, but at the same time he was able to learn from former Australian spinner Fawad Ahmed, who was the spinner in the first XI.
“He has been enormous for me, he has helped me come such a long way so quickly.”
This season, he along with his brother Max Hatzoglou, headed to Adelaide to play with Prospect District in the South Australian Cricket Association Premier competition.
Having been named in the Victorian emerging squad earlier this year, he has been given the opportunity to train with the South Australian emerging squad.
“Prospect has been so good to us,” he said.
“We’ve loved the whole move… I’ve got a really good feeling about Adelaide so does my brother.”
