Full name Callum James Ferguson

Born November 21, 1984, North Adelaide, South Australia

Current age 24 years 231 days

Major teams Australia, Australia A, South Australia

Nickname Walt Disney

Batting style Right-hand bat

Bowling style Right-arm medium

Height 1.80 m

Education Black Friars Priory School, Prospect; Marryatville High School, Kensington

After a few stutters at South Australia, Callum Ferguson came of age in 2008-09 and ended the summer as a regular international performer and the owner of a Cricket Australia contract. An easy-to-watch right-hander, Ferguson had suffered from giving away regular starts, but he came home more determined to cash in following a trip to the English leagues in 2008. There were two hundreds and three Pura Cup fifties in a haul of 644 runs and, despite being lightly built, he showed power with 401 FR Cup runs at almost a run a ball and more explosiveness in the Twenty20 competition. The national selectors were impressed and he was picked in the one-day squad for the Chappell-Hadlee Series. Over the next four months he played 14 ODIs, earned three half-centuries and stood out in a crisis, confirming himself as a man for the future.

Following an excellent debut season in 2004-05, when he topped South Australia's run tally, Ferguson fell to fourth on the list the next summer and sixth in 2006-07. But he was back up to third with 498 runs from eight matches in a forgettable 2007-08 for the Redbacks. With the retirements of Darren Lehmann and Matthew Elliott, Ferguson had to shoulder even more of the responsibility last season. He has had two stints at the Centre of Excellence and is highly-rated within the Redbacks camp. Showing incredible maturity when he made his first-class debut four seasons ago, he posted 733 Pura Cup runs as the rest of the team's strokeplayers struggled. The next summer 506 at 36 followed but his only concern in making four half-centuries was a highest score of 65. A talented junior, Ferguson was first picked for the Academy in 2002 and was then chosen for the Under-19 World Cup in Bangladesh in 2004, but a knee injury on the eve of the tournament kept him from playing.
Cricinfo staff May 2009

Apr 27, 2009

Callum Ferguson plays it on the off side

© Associated Press

Apr 24, 2009

Michael Clarke and Callum Ferguson took Australia home

© Associated Press

Apr 9, 2009

Callum Ferguson pokes the ball away

© Associated Press

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