Though born in the UK, Aaron Hardie grew up in Perth and first gained notice taking Joe Root’s wicket in a 2017 tour match. He captained Western Australia to the U19 national title that year and excelled for Australia U19s against Pakistan. In 2018-19, Hardie earned rookie deals with WA and Perth Scorchers, highlighting his talent by dismissing Virat Kohli in another tour game. That summer Hardie scored 115 against an attack including Cummins and Hazlewood. Often overshadowed by childhood friend and WA allrounder Cameron Green, Hardie had a breakthrough 2021-22 season. He struck a career-best 174 not out in WA’s long-awaited Sheffield Shield win. Hardie’s strong form earned an Australia A tour of Sri Lanka in 2022, where he notched three fifties across formats. His continued development has put Hardie firmly in the national team conversation.