Billy Stanlake Profile, Career & Stats

A tall, fast bowler with a raw pace is always a cherished commodity for any team. But with the height comes the injury concerns. The career of Australian speedster Billy Stanlake has been quite similar, as prolonged injuries have shortened his career so far. He is extremely tall and can extract bounce from any surface. 

Having made his domestic debut in the 2015-16 season, Stanlake was fast-tracked into the Australian side, winning a surprise call-up in the 2017 ODI series against Pakistan. However, back injuries have been a constant enemy for Stanlake, which has halted his progress both domestically and the internationally. He was noticed early in his career. His ability to generate steep bounce and zip off the deck made him get noticed. 

He also got a BBL contract soon after and was quite impressive in his debut season. He managed to hurry quite a few top-class batters, and he was touted as a real prospect for the future. However, he has a few chinks in his armour, and his injuries haven’t quite healed. With age still on his side, Stanlake will look to remain injury-free and bounce back from scratch. 

Stanlake was born in Hervey Bay, Queensland, and played Australian rules football for the Hervey Bay Bombers. He switched to cricket when his family relocated to the Gold Coast. Billy played for Southport-Labrador while attending the Southport School. 

Stanlake was part of the Australian U-19 team in both the 2012 and 2014 World Cups. However, he sustained a foot injury, which forced him to miss the 2012 U19 World Cup. He almost suffered the same fate two years later. However, this time, he recovered in time to participate in the tournament. During the World Cup, he was the most productive Australian bowler. He finished with the best average of 19.40 and bagged five wickets at an economy rate of 3.34. 

After impressive performances at the junior level, Stanlake was offered a contract for the Queensland state cricket team for the 2014-15 season. He made his List A debut for Queensland against Tasmania in 2015. Following impressive performances in the domestic circuit, Stanlake was awarded a place in the Australia XI squad to play a tour match against New Zealand. 

Owing to recurring back injury issues, Stanlake wasn’t part of the 2015-16 Sheffield Shield season. He was drafted back into the side following a match-winning performance for the Gold Coast in Grade Cricket. On his first-class debut, Stanlake bagged four wickets for 63 runs in the 2nd innings. He made his BBL debut for the Adelaide Strikers in 2015 and impressed with his bowling. Despite not taking a wicket, he conceded just 18 runs and earned praise from Andrew Flintoff, who tipped him to increase his pace in the near future.  

Billy Stanlake’s career continued to gather attention in 2017 when he was picked up by Royal Challengers Bangalore at the IPL auction for INR 30 lakh. The same year, he was awarded a Cricket Australia contract, not as an immediate national regular, but as a player identified for long-term development and close monitoring. The selectors clearly recognised his potential as a fast bowler of the future.

Stanlake remained in demand on the T20 circuit and was signed by Sunrisers Hyderabad for the 2018 IPL season. However, his campaign was cut short after he fractured a finger during a match against Chennai Super Kings, an injury that ruled him out of the remainder of the tournament. Despite the setback, Cricket Australia continued to back him, awarding him a national contract for the 2018–19 season.

In 2019, Stanlake explored overseas opportunities again and was signed by Derbyshire to play in England’s T20 Blast. Unfortunately, injury concerns resurfaced, and he was ruled out midway through the season before he could make a sustained impact.

A major domestic shift came in May 2022, when Stanlake left Queensland to join the Tasmania cricket team, seeking a fresh start and new opportunities within Australia’s domestic system. He has since become part of Tasmania’s pace setup and remains active in Australia’s T20 landscape.

Stanlake is set to represent the Hobart Hurricanes in the 2025–26 Big Bash League season, continuing his association with Tasmania-based cricket and adding experience and pace to the Hurricanes’ bowling unit.

(As of December 2025)