The story of Thomas Draca is a global adventure. The 25-year-old fast bowler was born in Australia to an Italian mother and a Yugoslavian father. He grew up in Sydney, studied in the UK, played in Canada, and is now representing Italy on the world stage.
As a child, Draca actually preferred football. His path to cricket started because of his father’s hobby as a wine lover. His father met the Australian cricket legend Dennis Lillee through their shared interest in wine. Lillee asked if the young boy played cricket and offered to coach him.
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The two developed a close bond, and Draca began calling the legend “Uncle Dennis.” For Draca’s 21st birthday, Lillee gave him his famous gold World Series chain, which has his signature and Test cap number on it. Draca says Lillee is the main reason he wants to bowl fast and succeed in the sport.
Draca’s professional career took off while he was playing for Exeter University in the UK. During a match against a professional team, he bowled so well that he caught the attention of scouts. Soon, he was flying across the world to play in T20 leagues.
In Canada, he played alongside stars like David Warner. He was nervous at first, but Warner told him to “just let it rip.” This gave him the confidence to become a star player. By working with specialist coaches, Thomas Draca increased his bowling speed from 80 mph to 88 mph, making him a dangerous “X-factor” player for Italy.
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Now, Thomas Draca is playing for Italy in their first-ever Cricket World Cup in India. While he dreams of playing in the IPL one day like his hero Hardik Pandya, his main goal is to help cricket grow in Italy. He wants to help the team get better facilities and inspire a new generation of Italian players.
Even though he doesn’t speak much Italian yet, he celebrates every win with passion, shouting and cheering with his teammates.