Cooper Connolly is no stranger to pressure and, as his meteoric rise has taken him to the doorstep of the Australian Cricket Team, Mitch Marsh predicts he can be the nation’s next star.

Connolly was a surprise inclusion in Australia’s Twenty20 squad for their tour of Scotland and England having only burst onto the scene after his BBL grand final heroics in 2023.

Before then Connolly had only faced 11 deliveries at a professional level but his ability to deliver under extraordinary circumstances has Marsh believing he has a bright future ahead.

“The one thing that stood out to me, and we saw it in Big Bash, is he loves the big moments,” Marsh told Fox Cricket.

“He’s going to fail at certain times in those moments, but I know that he doesn’t get overawed by that, he’s a very calm character.

“He’s a confident, humble young man, and I think Australia will fall in love with him.”

Connolly has only enhanced his reputation as a big game player after making his first-class debut in this year’s Sheffield Shield final where he cracked 90 off just 115 balls to help bury Tasmania as WA completed a hat-trick of Sheild titles.