Sam Whiteman

The 2013-14 season was his breakthrough. In the Big Bash League he was part of a successful campaign with the Perth Scorchers, and in the Sheffield Shield he finished sixth among the leading run-getters, scoring 687 runs at an average of 45.80 while also claiming 45 dismissals behind the stumps. That combination of runs and glovework led observers to compare him with Adam Gilchrist. In 2014 he reached three figures in first-class cricket for the first time, making 174 for Australia A against India A. During that innings he and Mitchell Marsh, his Western Australia teammate, put on 371 together, a record partnership.

When Brad Haddin retired, the national wicketkeeping position became unsettled. Matthew Wade and Peter Nevill both had opportunities before Tim Paine was brought back for the 2017-18 Ashes. Throughout that period Whiteman stayed in the conversation, valued for his work with the gloves and his aggressive approach with the bat.

Injuries began to disrupt his progress from 2017. When he came back to the Scorchers in 2018 he played solely as a batter, but he struggled to make an impression. As his form faded, others such as Alex Carey pushed ahead, and Whiteman dropped out of contention for an Australia place. He later joined the Sydney Thunder for the 2021/22 season before returning to the Scorchers in 2023/24.